President Joe Biden is due to host Jordan’s King Abdullah II at the White House on July 19, marking the first time during this administration a leader from the Middle East will visit the White House.
According to a White House readout, King Abdullah, Queen Rania and Crown Prince Hussein will visit with the Bidens to “highlight the enduring and strategic partnership between the United States and Jordan.”
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the visit “will be an opportunity to discuss the many challenges facing the Middle East and showcase Jordan’s leadership role in promoting peace and stability in the region.”
Abdullah’s court also released a statement that read: “The visit comes on the heels of ongoing Jordanian diplomatic efforts led by His Majesty, including a meeting with Palestinian [Authority] President Mahmoud Abbas, and participation in the fourth trilateral Jordanian-Egyptian-Iraqi summit in Baghdad.”
The visit comes on the heels of an alleged plot by the half brother of King Abdullah II to takeover the throne he was once slated to inherit.
The U.S. has in the past provided Jordan with Black Hawk helicopters to Jordan, in a bid to curb the threat of Islamist terrorists in the region.
Last week, the White House announced that Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett had also been invited for an inaugural visit to the White House.