President Barack Obama will host King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia at the White House next week for his first trip to Washington since ascending the throne.
The visit, scheduled for September 4, comes just before Congress is scheduled to vote on the Iran deal, which Saudi Arabia has endorsed but expressed concern over.
The leaders will discuss “steps to counter Iran’s destabilizing activities in the region,” White House press secretary Josh Earnest said Thursday. As well as “ways to further strengthen the bilateral relationship, including our joint security and counterterrorism efforts.”
King Salman did not attend a summit Obama held with Gulf leaders at Camp David in May. Many viewed this as a snub — a claim the White House and Saudi Arabian officials denied.