U.S. President Joe Biden will hold bilateral talks with the Saudi king and his leadership team, including Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, when he visits the Middle East next week, a White House spokesman said on Thursday.
The U.S. president's sensitive trip will test his ability to reset relations with Saudi Arabia's powerful crown prince, who he previously denounced as a pariah.
Biden needs oil-rich Saudi Arabia's help at a time of high gasoline prices at home and as he encourages efforts to end the war in Yemen after the Saudis recently extended a ceasefire there. The United States also wants to curb Iran's influence in the Middle East and China's global influence.
Biden has been pointedly unclear on whether he will have face-to-face talks with Crown Prince Mohammed, the Saudi de facto leader who the U.S. intelligence community concluded was behind the 2018 murder of Washington Post journalist and political opponent Jamal Khashoggi.
White House spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Thursday that Biden's trip will include bilateral meetings with Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz and his leadership team, which includes the crown prince.
Biden will also discuss the ceasefire in Yemen and bring up human rights and energy security during his meetings with Gulf leaders, Kirby said.
Biden will first stop in Israel on his July 13-16 trip.
(Reporting by Jonathan Landay and Humeyra Pamuk; Writing by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Chris Reese and Rosalba O'Brien)
