Top US diplomat Blinken meets Saudi Crown Prince in AlUla

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met on Monday with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in AlUla, the official Saudi Press Agency reported.

Their private meeting in AlUla, a historic oasis in western Saudi Arabia, is the latest leg of Blinken’s rapid tour of the region as concerns over the Israel-Hamas war continue to mount.

According to SPA, the two leaders discussed several topics including the bilateral relations between the Kingdom and the US, as well as areas of mutual cooperation and ways to enhance them for the benefit of both countries.

They also exchanged views on regional and international developments, emphasizing efforts towards achieving security and stability, SPA said.

MBS emphasized the crucial need to halt military operations in Gaza and establish a pathway for peace.

He also highlighted the importance of efforts to establish conditions that would restore stability and promote a peaceful resolution, ultimately ensuring the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people and achieving a just and enduring peace, SPA added.

Earlier, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said Blinken discussed efforts to prevent the Gaza conflict from spreading during a meeting with the European Union’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, who is also currently in AlUla.

Blinken “emphasized the importance of preventing further spread of the conflict,” during talks in Abu Dhabi earlier with United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a US summary of the meeting said.

“This is a conflict that could easily metastasize, causing even more insecurity and even more suffering,” Blinken said on Sunday in Qatar, the previous leg of his whistlestop tour.

The war in Gaza started with Hamas’ unprecedented October 7 attack on Israel, which resulted in about 1,200 deaths, most of them civilians, according to Israel.

Israel has responded with relentless bombardment and a ground invasion that have killed at least 23,084 people, most of them women and children, according to the health ministry in Gaza.