Biden says no plans to meet with Saudi crown prince during Kingdom visit
June 18, 2022, 8:16 am

Biden says no plans to meet with Saudi crown prince during Kingdom visit

U.S. President Joe Biden signed legislation Tuesday afternoon to make lynching a federal hate crime for the first time in American history (File photo: Kamala Harris official Facebook page)

The Anadolu Agency reported that US President Joe Biden said on Friday (June 17) he has no plans to sit down with Saudi Arabia's de facto leader as he prepares to visit the Kingdom next month.

Asked if he would meet with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Biden said, "I’m not going to meet with" him.

Biden told reporters before departing the White House for his home state of Delaware: "I’m going to an international meeting. And he’s going to be a part of it, just like there were people part of the discussion today."

According to the Anadolu Agency, Biden is slated to visit the Kingdom in mid-July, and participate in a meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council in the city of Jeddah alongside nine regional leaders.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan/Facebook page

Biden has long opposed sitting down with bin Salman, whom US intelligence determined ordered the grisly 2018 murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.

Joe Biden to visit Saudi Arabia at the invitation of King Salman

Saudi Arabia initially denied responsibility for Khashoggi's killing, but eventually acknowledged it was responsible, attempting to frame his death as a botched rendition operation.

It should be noted that the US president said in 2019 that he would make Saudi Arabia a "pariah" state, in part because of Khashoggi's murder.

Source: aa

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”