Biden-MBS meeting was "total win" for Saudis, says expert

July 21, 2022

Biden-MBS Meeting Was “Total Win” for Saudis, Says Expert | GZERO World

US President Joe Biden didn't get much out of his recent — and very controversial — trip to Saudi Arabia. Why?

His team didn't do their homework by getting the Saudis to agree on stuff in advance, says Bernard Haykel, a professor at Princeton University and confidante of Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman.

"This was a total win for the Saudis," Haykel tells Ian Bremmer on GZERO World.

Indeed, Biden's pledges to never allow Iran to get the bomb or defend Saudi Arabia from an attack are all "music to Saudi Arabia's ears."

What's more, Haykel adds, the Saudis "were able to show that they have tremendous convening power" by bringing in all the Gulf leaders, thus demonstrating that Riyadh is the most important player there — and the partner you need for political and energy stability.

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