US President Joe Biden has been to the Middle East many times, but never as head of state. Now he’s packing his bag to visit Saudi Arabia, a nation he once called a “pariah” after the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. But with US gas prices through the roof and low poll numbers, some analysts say trading human rights for economics could bring risks but also political rewards.  

In this episode: 

• Ali Harb (@Harbpeace), Senior producer for Al Jazeera.com, Washington, DC

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Amy Walters with Alexandra Locke, Ruby Zaman, Chloe Li, Ney Alvarez, Negin Owliaei, and Malika Bilal. Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our engagement producers are Aya Elmileik and Adam Abou-Gad.

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook