The Washington PostDemocracy Dies in Darkness

Opinion Joe Biden: Why I’m going to Saudi Arabia

By
July 9, 2022 at 6:35 p.m. EDT
President Biden walks to the South Lawn of the White House to board Marine One on July 6. (Patrick Semansky/AP)
8 min

Joe Biden is president of the United States.

Next week, I’ll travel to the Middle East to start a new and more promising chapter of America’s engagement there. This trip comes at a vital time for the region, and it will advance important American interests.

A more secure and integrated Middle East benefits Americans in many ways. Its waterways are essential to global trade and the supply chains we rely on. Its energy resources are vital for mitigating the impact on global supplies of Russia’s war in Ukraine. And a region that’s coming together through diplomacy and cooperation — rather than coming apart through conflict — is less likely to give rise to violent extremism that threatens our homeland or new wars that could place new burdens on U.S. military forces and their families.