What has Biden gained from his trip to Saudi Arabia?

Three years ago Joe Biden promised to make Saudi Arabia “pay the price” for the killing of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Now, as the US president, he is on a charm offensive.

Biden needs the kingdom to pump more oil to take the pressure off fuel prices.

He has declared that “significant business” was accomplished in Jeddah.

But any positive developments from those meetings have been overshadowed by criticism of Biden’s visit to the kingdom and his interactions with the crown prince.

So, does this trip pave the way for a new partnership with Saudi Arabia and the Gulf region?

Presenter: Bernard Smith

Guests:

Abdulaziz Alghashian – Research fellow at SEPAD, focusing on Saudi foreign policy

Doug Bandow – Senior fellow at the Cato Institute

Zaid Belbagi – Managing partner at Hardcastle Advisory, a political consulting firm