The White House has attempted to organize phone meetings with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates in order to persuade them to pump more oil. Gas prices in the United States are increasing, and we’re on the verge of hyperinflation.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates both declined US requests to speak with Mr. Biden in recent weeks, according to the officials, as Saudi and Emirati officials have become more vocal in their criticism of American policy in the Gulf.
On Feb. 9, Biden spoke with Prince Mohammed’s 86-year-old father, King Salman, and the two men reaffirmed their nations’ long-standing alliance. The call between Mr. Biden and Sheikh Mohammed will be rescheduled, according to the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Saudi officials say their relationship with the United States has deteriorated under the Biden administration, and they want more support for their intervention in Yemen’s civil war, as well as assistance with their own civilian nuclear program as Iran’s progresses. They also want legal immunity for Prince Mohammed in the United States. Several lawsuits have been filed against the crown prince in the United States, including one for the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.
Officials said the Emiratis share Saudi concerns over the US’s cautious response to recent missile strikes in Yemen by Iran-backed Houthi insurgency targeting the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Both countries are also anxious about the resurrected Iran nuclear deal, which does not address their other security issues and is nearing the end of its negotiations.
As oil prices approach $130 a barrel for the first time in over 14 years, the White House has worked to restore relations with two important Middle Eastern countries it needs on its side. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are the only two major oil producers with the potential to pump millions of more barrels of oil, a capacity that, if deployed, may assist to calm the crude market at a time when gasoline prices in the United States are at record highs.
