Biden first trip

Five takeaways from President Biden’s first trip to Middle East

Joe Biden reaffirmed old commitments to allies and pushed for further Israeli-Arab normalisation during visit to region.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman welcomes President Joe Biden upon his arrival at Al-Salam palace in Jeddah, July 15 [Bandar Aljaloud/Saudi Royal Court via AP]

Washington, DC – The United States “will not walk away” from the Middle East, US President Joe Biden reaffirmed to allies during his trip to the region last week.

The trip to Israel and Saudi Arabia came at a time of international and domestic crises for the US president, who had vowed to strengthen “promising trends” in a “less pressurized” Middle East.