Antony Blinken, the U.S. Secretary of State, landed in Saudi Arabia on Monday, marking the initial leg of a broader Middle East tour. The primary focus of his visit is to engage with Arab allies regarding post-conflict Gaza and to urge Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to take concrete steps, as demanded by U.S. President Joe Biden earlier this month, to ameliorate the dire humanitarian conditions in Gaza.
During his time in Riyadh, Blinken is set to hold meetings with top Saudi officials. Additionally, he will convene a broader discussion with counterparts from five Arab nations: Qatar, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Jordan. The agenda will include deliberations on the future governance of the Gaza Strip following the conflict, as outlined by a senior official from the State Department.
