JEDDAH: US President Joe Biden told Arab leaders on Saturday that Washington would remain fully engaged in the Middle East and would not cede influence to other world powers.

“We will not walk away and leave a vacuum to be filled by China, Russia or Iran,” Biden said during a summit in Jeddah, on the Red Sea coast of Saudi Arabia.

US ties to Gulf powers in particular have been roiled by multiple issues in recent years, notably Washington’s push for a deal to curb Iran’s suspect nuclear programme and its tepid response to attacks on Saudi oil facilities in 2019 claimed by Yemen’s Iran-backed Huthi rebels.

The summit, the final stop of Biden’s Middle East tour, brings together the six members of the Gulf Cooperation Council as well as Egypt, Jordan and Iraq.

Saudi crown prince warns against ‘unrealistic’ policies to curb emissions

Biden had been looking to use the trip to discuss volatile oil prices and outline his vision for Washington’s role in the region.

On Friday he met Saudi King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom’s de facto ruler.

Biden told the assembled Arab leaders that “the future will be won by countries that unleash the full potential of their populations... where citizens can question and criticise leaders without fear of reprisal”.

Ukraine tensions

Biden said the US would commit $1 billion in food aid to the Middle East and North Africa amid rising food insecurity induced by the war in Ukraine.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has exposed a once unthinkable divergence between Washington and key Middle East allies Saudi Arabia and the UAE, the oil giants that are increasingly independent on the international stage.

The wealthy Gulf nations, which host US forces and have dependably backed Washington for decades, have notably refrained from supporting the Biden administration as it tries to choke Moscow’s lifelines, from energy to diplomacy.

Analysts say the new position reveals a turning point in Gulf relations with the US, long the region’s protector against neighbour Iran.

But Saturday brought some conciliatory gestures, with Biden inviting his Emirati counterpart to visit the White House before the year is up.

In his remarks at the summit, MBS said he hoped it would “establish a new era of joint cooperation to deepen the strategic partnership between our countries and the US, to serve our common interests and enhance security and development in this vital region for the whole world.”

He warned that “unrealistic policies” to curb emissions could fuel inflation. “Adopting unrealistic policies to reduce emissions by excluding major sources of energy will lead in the coming years to unprecedented inflation and a rise in energy prices, while increasing unemployment and exacerbating serious social and security problems,” he said.

Push for oil

Riyadh and Washington have signed 18 agreements on areas including energy, space, health and investment, including developing 5G and 6G technology, said a Saudi statement.

A separate joint statement said the two countries noted “the importance of their strategic economic and investment cooperation, especially in light of the current crisis in Ukraine and its repercussions, reiterating their commitment to the stability of global energy markets.”

Saudi Arabia agreed to link the electricity networks of the Gulf Cooperation Council to Iraq, which relies heavily on energy from Iran, “in order to provide Iraq and its people with new and diversified electricity sources,” the White House said.

Washington wants Riyadh to open the oil floodgates to bring down soaring gasoline prices, which threaten Democratic chances in November mid-term elections.

But Biden tried to lower expectations that his trip would yield immediate gains.

“I’m doing all I can to increase the supply for the US,” he said, adding concrete results would not be seen “for another couple weeks”.

Published in Dawn, July 17th, 2022