Tourism Breaking News
According to the Jeddah Communique a joint statement between the United States of America and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was shared after the visit of US President Joseph R. Biden conducted an official visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on the invitation of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud.
It states that following the meeting with King Salman, President Biden and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman held an official meeting, attended by senior officials from both sides. The two sides reviewed in detail the many shared priorities that contribute to the partnership between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United States. At the end of this meeting, the two sides issued this communique outlining the strategic partnership between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United States over the coming decades with the aim of advancing their mutual interests and advancing a common vision for a more peaceful, secure, prosperous, and stable Middle East.
The two sides noted the historic ties between the peoples of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Stated. They welcomed, in this regard, extending the validity of business and tourism visas to 10 years to facilitate closer people-to-people ties and economic cooperation.
The U.S. side commended the Saudi Green Initiative and Middle East Green Initiative, and welcomed Saudi Arabia’s participation at the recent Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate, joining of the Global Methane Pledge, its status as a founding member of the Net-Zero Producers Forum, and the Kingdom’s announcement to meet fifty percent of its electricity generation from renewables by 2030.
The two sides welcomed the finalization of a Partnership Framework for Advancing Clean Energy, with substantial investments in clean energy transition and addressing climate change, with particular focus on renewable energy, clean hydrogen, human capacity-building in the nuclear energy field, and cooperation in nuclear-regulatory aspects, carbon capture utilization and sequestration, development of sustainable materials, and other initiatives under the Circular Carbon Economy Framework, where Saudi Arabia aims to be a global leader..
The two sides emphasized that the energy transition and the national security of both countries require stable and diversified supply chains, and in this regard, the United States welcomed Saudi Arabia’s support for the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment, which President Biden announced at the G7 Summit on June 26, 2022. Through this historic partnership, the United States and Saudi Arabia aim to strategically invest in projects that support digital connectivity, supply chain sustainability, and climate and energy security focused on low- and middle-income countries.
President Biden welcomed the arrangements by Saudi Arabia to remove the Multinational Force and Observers (MFO) from the Island of Tiran, including the removal of U.S. troops there as part of the MFO mission, while preserving and continuing all existing commitments and procedures in the area. This area of the Red Sea will now be developed for tourism and economic purposes, contributing to a more secure, peaceful, and prosperous region.
Within the framework of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s keenness to fulfill its obligations under the Chicago Convention of 1944, which stipulates non-discrimination between civil aircraft used in international air navigation, the Saudi General Authority for Civil Aviation (GACA) announced its decision to open the Kingdom’s airspace for all air carriers that meet the requirements of GACA to fly over the Kingdom’s airspace. The United States welcomed this announcement, which will enhance global air connectivity and help cement the Kingdom’s position as a global hub connecting Africa, Asia, and Europe.
The U.S. welcomed the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, its blueprint for transformative economic and social reforms, and its efforts to increase women’s economic participation and promote interfaith dialogue. Saudi Arabia welcomed greater U.S. private sector investment in the Kingdom, as well as increasing Saudi investments in the American private sector for the benefit of both countries. The U.S. side welcomed Saudi Arabia’s bid to host World Expo in 2030, and other events to be held over the course of that milestone year, the culmination of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 reform program. The Saudi side noted the importance for the region of the World Cup being hosted by Qatar later this year and welcomed the United States serving as host for the World Cup in 2026.
