The Latest on U.S. President Joe Biden's trip to the Mideast:
JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia — President Joe Biden on Friday became the first U.S. leader to fly directly from Israel to Saudi Arabia, signaling warming ties between the two Middle East nations as they find common cause against regional threats from Iran.
Air Force One landed in Jeddah ahead of planned meetings with King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the de facto leader of the kingdom. U.S. intelligence officials have determined the crown prince, often referred to by his initials, MBS, likely ordered the 2018 killing of U.S.-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
During his 2020 campaign for the White House, Biden had pledged to make Saudi Arabia a “pariah” because of Khashoggi’s killing and other human rights abuses. He now seeks closer ties with the kingdom to bolster security in the region as Iran’s nuclear development continues unabated, and to secure additional energy supplies amid global tightening due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Biden’s visit to the Red Sea port city will include his participation in a meeting of the six Gulf Cooperation Council nations — Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates — as well as Egypt, Iraq and Jordan.
Earlier Friday, Saudi Arabia opened its airspace to “all air carriers,” signaling the end of its longstanding ban on Israeli flights overflying its territory — a key step toward normalization between the two Mideast nations.