Obama holds White House talks with leaders from Saudi Arabia

posted on: May 13, 2015

U.S. President Barack Obama meets with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef (C) in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington May 13, 2015. At left is Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al Jubeir. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

WASHINGTON, 13 May 2015 —The White House press pool reported on a brief interaction between President Obama and the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef earlier Wednesday morning. The short press conference preludes the GCC Summit to address the Gulf’s regional issues, which the U.S. will host at Camp David tomorrow.

As the two leaders expressed their mutual value for the U.S.-Saudi strategic alliance, they touched on important issues gripping the Middle East region, including their desire to bilaterally address the current ceasefire in Yemen.

Evan McMorris-Santoro of BuzzFeed News reports that the top priority on both national agendas is the containment of the notorious ISIL and the continuation of cooperative counter-terrorism efforts in the region.

President Obama stated that the US-Saudi relationship has been “absolutely critical not only to maintaining stability in the region but also protecting the American people.”

Crown Prince Nayef emphasized the importance of the historical relationship between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia.

The King of Saudi Arabia, Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, declined Obama’s invitation to the GCC summit at Camp David tomorrow. Many see the king’s decision as a symbol of his growing displeasure with Washington in the wake of U.S. negotiations with Iran.

Only two of the six Gulf Cooperation Council monarchs agreed to attend the summit.

Sarah Samaha
Arab America