King’s visit to herald new era in Saudi-US relations

RIYADH: Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman will make his maiden visit to the US next week at the invitation of President Barack Obama. The two leaders will discuss a range of issues and developments in the Middle East.

Speaking at a joint press conference in London with his British counterpart Philip Hammond, Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir said: “The visit to be made by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman to the United States by the next weekend comes at the invitation of the US president.”
He expressed hope that the meeting will be a huge success to address mutual concerns. “The talks between the two leaders will center on the developments in the Middle East.”
Notably, Al-Jubeir was speaking at the press conference on developments in the Middle East, Iran’s nuclear deal and means to reach political solutions in Syria and Yemen, which are likely to top the agenda of king-Obama talks.
“The president will host the king of Saudi Arabia at the White House on Friday, Sept. 4th,” Obama’s spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters aboard Air Force One.
The White House said King Salman’s visit would include talks about Yemen, Syria and Iran's actions to destabilize the region.
Earnest said the visit underscores the importance of the strategic partnership between the US and Saudi Arabia. He also says the president and king will discuss a range of issues that include joint security and counter-terrorism efforts.
As the visit is planned for three days, the king is likely to attend the US-Saudi forum on energy, health, petrochemicals and financial services in Washington to be held on Sept. 4-6.
The king is also expected to visit Egypt after the US trip, before returning to the Kingdom.
The Kingdom shares cordial ties with the US since full diplomatic relations were established in 1933.