Saudi Arabia welcomed on Friday the current US President Joe Biden, 79, who was on an official visit to the Middle East. Biden started his tour in Israel where he met Prime Minister Yair Lapid and President Isaac Herzog then he left for the West Bank and held talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
After Israel and West Bank Visit, the US President took off to Saudi Arabia where he was welcomed at the airport by the Emir of Mecca region Khalid Al-Faisal. However, social media users highlighted the differences between Biden's visit to Saudi Arabia and former President Donald Trump's visit to the Kingdom in 2017.
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According to videos people shared online, Biden was welcomed on a PURPLE carpet with the attendance of fewer officials compared with Trump who landed on a RED carpet and was welcomed by Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.
According to Saudi Press Agency, Saudi Arabia chose lavender as the new color for ceremonial carpets used at official state receptions and occasions adding that it symbolizes the identity of the Kingdom. Despite the fact that Purple is now the official color for carpets in Saudi Arabia, some people still thought that the Red carpet, rolled out for Trump not Biden, can informally indicate that Donald has a special place and means more to Saudi Arabia.
Biden was received by a deputy governor. THE REAL PRESIDENT WAS WELCOMED BY THE KING!!! pic.twitter.com/g3JHiqo68r
— il Donaldo Trumpo (@PapiTrumpo) July 16, 2022
Furthermore, Saudi Arabia, in 2017, planned a lavish welcoming ceremony for Donald Trump, along with the ex-first lady Melania Trump, where a Saudi group performed a traditional Sword Dance at the Murabba Palace where the former president took part as he joined the male-only dance before attending an official dinner with the Saudi monarchy.
#Trump 2018 vs #Biden 2022 welcoming ceremony in Saudi Arabia pic.twitter.com/PYeQNcyvzF
— Mo Marhom, MD. (@Dr_Marhoum) July 15, 2022
Commentators also remembered that Trump has received Saudi Arabia's highest civilian honor, a gold medal called the Order of Abdulaziz al-Saud, which was given to him by Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, CNN reported.
Various reactions emerged online where people shared photos and videos comparing the difference in welcoming two US Presidents to the Kingdom. However, some users justified the fewer number of officials in Biden's welcoming event to the Covid-19 Pandemic, which stroke the world back in 2019, saying that this was made on purpose to guarantee the safety of US President Biden, Saudi leaders as more Coronavirus cases are being discovered despite vaccines.
