A "mortifying" climbdown by Biden in Saudi Arabia?

So much for the moral leadership of America, Fred Ryan wrote in The Washington Post. The world has every reason to believe Joe Biden meant it when he said he would declare Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS) a "pariah" for ordering the killing of Washington Post contributor Jamal Khashoggi during the campaign.

Mohammed bin Salman is being prosecuted for the murder of Jamal Khashoggi.

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After all, Biden was a seasoned statesman who undoubtedly knew better than to make sweeping claims about foreign affairs that he wasn't prepared to support. How embarrassing to witness the president meeting MbS and other Saudi royals in Jeddah last week. American ideals are negotiable, was the obvious message sent to the rest of the globe. When it needs something more, "like cheap energy," the White House talks a fine game on human rights.

There is no doubting that Biden's retreat with the Saudi visit can be seen in Yasmine Farouk's article in The New York Times. Riyadh has consistently ignored his government in recent months. Even though MbS reportedly turned down a call from the White House in March in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Biden's visit could still be advantageous for both sides.

The fact is that Saudi Arabia, which continues to be a key swing producer on the oil market and the largest consumer of US weapons, is essential to the US. The assistance of the monarchy is essential to Washington's efforts to contain Iranian influence, normalise Israel's relations with the Arab world, and reduce the power of Russia and China in the Middle East. To succeed with his proposal to restructure the Saudi economy, Vision 2030, MbS will need access to US technology and venture money.

According to Karen Elliott House in The Wall Street Journal, Saudi Arabia no longer sees the US as a necessary security ally. Instead, it is focusing on China and Russia. "Over the past four years, China has increased its weaponry supplies to the kingdom by around 400%; most of these transfers are drones, which the US won't sell to Riyadh." Regarding Biden, he still appears more motivated to strengthen ties with Iran than with Saudi Arabia.

In other words, neither party appears to be genuinely interested in resetting this relationship. It's about personal redemption for the 79-year-old president and the 36-year-old crown prince. Prior to the midterm elections in November, Biden wants more Saudi oil to lower gas prices for US voters; MbS wants to boost his image and move past the murder of Jamal Khashoggi. MbS is more likely than the other to fulfil his goal.