Joe Biden's trip to the Middle East, including Israel and Saudi Arabia During his campaign for the US presidency, Joe Biden described Saudi Arabia as a 'pariah state' in the aftermath of the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. But since taking office, Biden's language has changed. This week, he is making his first trip to the oil-rich kingdom as president, as global energy prices soar in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. To discuss the trip (which also includes Jordan and Israel), we talk to Middle East expert and former CIA officer Douglas London, who is adjunct associate professor at the Center for Security Studies at Georgetown University.