Biden dispatching top aide to meet with Saudi crown prince

By AAMER MADHANI
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is dispatching one his top advisers to Saudi Arabia to meet with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the de facto leader of the oil-rich kingdom. White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Thursday he will travel to Saudi Arabia on Saturday for talks with Saudi officials and will also meet with his counterparts from the United Arab Emirates and India during his visit. Sullivan’s planned visit is the latest sign of warming relations between the kingdom and the Biden administration that had been strained by Biden’s criticism of Saudi Arabia’s human rights record and oil policies. Sullivan is expected to meet with the crown prince during the visit.