ALBAWABA - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken heads to Saudi Arabia to discuss already shaken relations between Washington and Riyadh over a variety of matters ranging from ties with Iran to oil production and prices.
Blinken is expected to meet with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) during his time in Riyadh. This visit is the second American high-profile visit after White House national security advisor Jake Sullivan visited Riyadh in May.
The trip aims toward taking steps forward in the normalization deal with Israel. Blinken also hopes to reduce Chinese and Russian leverage in the region.
In the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) conference on Monday, Blinken said Washington had "a real national security interest" in advocating for the normalization of diplomatic relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, but cautioned that it will not happen quickly, The New Arab reported.
It is also expected for Bilnken to touch on Riyadh's cut down on oil production and its effect on oil prices worldwide. Saudi Arabia has invested hundreds of billions of dollars in modernizing and expanding its economy in order to minimize its reliance on petroleum products.
