International Diplomacy

Formal meetings between high-ranking officials and leaders, set in luxurious surroundings with flags representing their nations.

US defence secretary William Cohen Crown Prince Abdallah bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud 1998

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry speaks with Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah before their meeting at his desert encampment Rawdat Khuraim on January 5, 2014.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry meets with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir, at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C. on February 8, 2016.

King Salman of Saudi Arabia speaks with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on August 25, 2016, after he arrived at the Royal Court in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, for a bilateral meeting preceding discussions with regional ministers focused on Yemen and other Persian Gulf issues.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, joined by U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Joseph Westphal, listens to Saudi Arabia King Salman at the outset of a bilateral meeting at the Diriyah Farm in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - the monarch's family homestead - on January 23, 2016.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry speaks with King Salman of Saudi Arabia on August 25, 2016, after he arrived at the Royal Court in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, for a bilateral meeting preceding discussions with regional ministers focused on Yemen and other Persian Gulf issues.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry meets with Crown Prince Mohammad bin Nayef, at the Plaza Hotel, in New York City, New York on September 19, 2016.

US defence secretary William Cohen Crown Prince Abdallah bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud 1998

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry sits with Foreign Minister Crown Prince Saud al-Faisal of Saudi Arabia during a traditional coffee ceremony upon his arrival in Riyadh on January 5, 2014.

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken meets with Kuwaiti Amir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and Kuwaiti Crown Prince Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmed Al- Sabah, in Kuwait City, Kuwait on July 29, 2021.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, flanked by Saudi Arabia Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir, greets Saudi officials on May 14, 2016, at Jeddah International Airport in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, after the Secretary arrived for bilateral meetings with King Salman, Crown Prince Muhammad bin Nayef, and al-Jubeir.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry walks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, upon arriving at the Saudi Ministry of Interior in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on May 6, 2015, for a meeting and working dinner with him, Adel Al-Jubeir, the newly named Saudi Foreign Minister, and other government leaders.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry delivers a greeting from President Barack Obama during a meeting with King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia in Riyadh on November 4, 2013.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry walks with Foreign Minister Crown Prince Saud al-Faisal of Saudi Arabia upon his arrival in Riyadh on January 5, 2014.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, flanked by Saudi Arabia Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir, addresses reporters after they and counterparts from the United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, Oman, and the United Nations met on December 18, 2016, at the Conference Palace Hotel in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to discuss the future of Yemen.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry meets with Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on June 27, 2014.

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken meets with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., on October 14, 2021.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry walks with Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir after arriving on March 11, 2016, at King Khalid Military City outside Hafr al-Batin, Saudi Arabia, for meetings with King Salman, other Saudi leaders, and United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed.

Saudi Arabia King Salman greets U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on March 11, 2016, at King Khalid Military City outside Hafr al-Batin, Saudi Arabia, before a bilateral meeting.

Saudi Arabia King Salman greets U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry as he arrives at the Royal Court in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as the Secretary visited the Kingdom on December 18, 2016, for meetings focused on Yemen.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry meets with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on June 25, 2013.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal escorts U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry after he arrived in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on November 3, 2013.

120425-N-AC887-003DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (April 25, 2012) Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) the Honorable Ray Mabus meets with the Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Muhammad bin Rashid al-Maktoum, at Zabeel Palace in Dubai. Mabus met with Emirati leaders to discuss ways to enhance our strong partnership and further stability and peace within the region.

Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo meets with Saudi Vice Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman, at the Department of State, in Washington, DC on October 9, 2019.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry shakes hands with Bahraini Foreign Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed al-Khalifa before their bilateral meeting at the Four Seasons in Manama, Bahrain, on April 7, 2016.

Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo departs Doha, Qatar, on February 29, 2020.

President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, joined by the new King Salman of Saudi Arabia, shake hands with members of the Saudi Royal Family at the Erqa Royal Palace in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on January 27, 2015, as they, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and other dignitaries extended condolences to the late King Abdullah and call upon and met with King Salman.

Assistant Secretary for Protocol Affairs for the United Arab Emirates Shibab Al Faheem and U.S. Ambassador to the UAE Michael Corbin greet U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry upon his arrival in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates on February 17, 2014.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is greeted by Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on April 28, 2018.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry walks with Saudi Arabia Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir, greets Saudi officials on May 14, 2016, at Jeddah International Airport in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, after the Secretary arrived for bilateral meetings with King Salman, Crown Prince Muhammad bin Nayef, and al-Jubeir.

President Barack Obama talks with Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates in the Oval Office prior to a working lunch, April 20, 2015.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry walks with Saudi Arabia Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir after arriving at Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on August 24, 2016, in advance of meetings with Saudi officials and regional leaders.

King Salman bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia bids farewell to President Barack Obama at Erga Palace in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Jan. 27, 2015.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry poses with member of the Gulf Cooperation Council - Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah, Qatari Foreign Minister Muhammad bin Abdullah Al-Rahman Al Thani, Omani Foreign Minister Yuseu bin Alwai bin Abdullah, Saudi Arabia Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir, United Kingdom Under Secretary of Foreign Affairs Tobias Ellwood, United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed, and others - as well as United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen Isma�l Ould Cheikh Ahmed, far left - on August 25, 2016, in the Royal Terminal 1 at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia before a working lunch focused on Yemen and other regional issues.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry meets with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir at the Palace Hotel on December 17, 2015 in New York, New York.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry answers a reporter's questions about the attack on U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Korea Mark Lippert before the start of a meeting of the regional Gulf Cooperation Council on March 5, 2015, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo meets with Saudi Deputy Minister of Defense Khalid bin Salman Al Saud, at the Department of State, in Washington D.C., on January 6, 2020.

President Barack Obama walks with King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, and members of the Saudi delegation, toward the South Lawn Driveway, prior to the King's departure from the White House, June 29, 2010.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry sits with Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, before a bilateral meeting to discuss Syria and other regional issues in Moscow, Russia, on March 24, 2016.

Saudi Arabia King Salman greets Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Anne Patterson as she and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry arrive at the Royal Court in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as the Secretary visited the Kingdom on December 18, 2016, for meetings focused on Yemen.

U.S. Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo meets with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, at the Royal Court at al-Salam Palace in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on June 24, 2019.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry walks with Omani Minister Responsible for Defense Affairs Sayyid Badr al-Busaidi before their meeting in Muscat, Oman, on May 22, 2013.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Kuwait First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sabah al-Khalid al-Sabah deliver remarks at the opening of the U.S.-Kuwait Strategic Dialogue at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., on October 21, 2016.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry stands with U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Joseph Westphal and Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman Al Saud at the Irgah Palace in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on April 20, 2016, before a bilateral meeting, and amid the Secretary accompanying President Obama to a meeting with the member nations of the Gulf Cooperation Council.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo meets with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on April 28, 2018. (

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Ahmed Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Sabah deliver statements to the press at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., on January 26, 2022.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry sits with Saudi Arabia King Salman on March 11, 2016, at King Khalid Military City outside Hafr al-Batin, Saudi Arabia, before a bilateral meeting with the King, Crown Prince Muhammad bin Nayef, Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir, and other advisers.

Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo meets with Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on February 20, 2020.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says goodbye to Saudi Ambassador to the United States Saudi Ambassador to the United States Khalid bin Salman as he departs Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on April 29, 2018 after meetings with Saudi government officials. (

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal, accompanied by U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia James Smith, walks to greet U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry upon his arrival in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on June 25, 2013.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry chats with Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal of Saudi Arabia on March 5, 2015, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, before the two and their counterparts attended a meeting of the regional Gulf Cooperation Council.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry stands behind United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Foreign Minister Sabah Khalid Al Sabah of Kuwait during a group photo before the Syrian Donors' Conference in Kuwait City on January 15, 2014.

U.S. Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo is greeted by U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia John Abizaid and Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir upon arrival in Jeddah, on June 24, 2019.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is greeted by U.S. Charge d'Affaires William Grant and Qatari government officials upon arrival in Doha, Qatar on October 22, 2017.

Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo arrives in Doha, Qatar, on September 11, 2020.

U.S. Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo meets with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on October 16, 2018.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry sits with Bahraini Foreign Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed al-Khalifa before their bilateral meeting at the Four Seasons in Manama, Bahrain, on April 7, 2016.

U.S. Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates Michael Corbin stands with United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed as the two wait for U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry to deplane in Abu Dhabi before a working dinner during a refueling stop as the Secretary traveled to Beijing, China, on November 6, 2014.

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Ahmed Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Sabah pose for a photo after delivering statements to the press at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., on January 26, 2022.

Saudi Arabia Ministry of Foreign Affairs Protocol Representative Saad Al Sebaie greets U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry at King Salman Airbase in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, after he arrived on December 18, 2016, for meetings focused on Yemen.

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken meets with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., on October 14, 2021.

U.S. Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo meets with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi on September 19, 2019.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson shakes hands with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir before their bilateral meeting at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., on June 13, 2017.

Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo meets with King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud at the Royal Court at al-Salam Palace, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on June 24, 2019.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry poses for a photo with Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Regional Partners meeting participants in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on September 11, 2014.

Secretary of Defence William S. Cohen (left) meets with King Fahd bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (right) at Al-Yamamah Palace, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on October 13, 1998. Cohen is in the Persian Gulf region to visit with US troops and heads of state in the Gulf countries. Photograph by Helene C Stikkel.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is greeted by Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal upon his arrival in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on June 25, 2013.

National Security Advisor Susan E. Rice talks with Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces, at the U.S. Ambassador's residence in The Hague, the Netherlands, March 25, 2014.

Secretary Michael R. Pompeo arrives in Abu Dhabi and is greeted by Charg� d�Affaires Steven C. Bondy on June 24, 2019.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is Greeted by U.S. Charge d'Affaires Christopher Henzel and Saudi Undersecretary for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Protocol Affairs Azzam Al-Gain at the King Salman Air Base upon arrival in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on October 21, 2017.

Sheikh Zayed, Ruler of Abu Dhabi

U.S. Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo and Mrs. Susan Pompeo arrive in Manama, Bahrain on January 11, 2019.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton meets with the Kuwaiti Deputy Premier and Minister of Foreign Affairs Shaykh Dr. Mohammad Al Sabah in Kuwait City, Kuwait April 24, 2009.

Foreign Minister of Oman Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah watches as U.S. Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo delivers opening remarks at the Ministerial to Promote a Future of Peace and Security in the Middle East, in Warsaw, Poland on February 14, 2019.

U.S. Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo meets with Saudi King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz at the Royal Court in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on October 16, 2018.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry sits with (clockwise from top) French Ministry of Foreign Affairs Director General Nicolas De Riviere, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, Saudi Arabia Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir, Syrian Opposition Leader Riyad Hijab, British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond, Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, and German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier on February 11, 2016, before a multilateral meeting focused on Syria preceding the Munich Security Conference.

President Carter visits royalty on his trip to Saudi Arabia (Riyadh). King Khalid and Crown Prince Fahd are in this frame.

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken participates in an on-camera interview with Sky News Arabia in Kuwait City, Kuwait on July 29, 2021.

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken participates in an on-camera interview with Sky News Arabia in Kuwait City, Kuwait on July 29, 2021.

Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia, photographed during a meeting in Jeddah, 15 May 2023, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Asia

The President of Italy Sandro Pertini, during his diplomatic tour in the Far East, is received by the Emir of Kuwait Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah; the Emir is talking with his italian guests while President Pertini lights his pipe. Kuwait, September 1980.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry chats with Saudi Arabia Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir after they and counterparts from the United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, Oman, and the United Nations met on December 18, 2016, at the Conference Palace Hotel in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to discuss the future of Yemen.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is greeted by Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir upon his arrival in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to discuss ongoing efforts to resolve the Gulf dispute, on July 12, 2017.

Annalena Baerbock (Buendnis 90 Die Gruenen), Bundesaussenministerin, trifft Prinz Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah bin Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Aussenminister des K nigreiches Saudi-Arabien. Riad, 11.11.2023

Sayyid Badr bin Saud, Al-Busaidi of Oman, with US Secretary of Defense William Cohen 1997

Deputy Secretary of State Tony Blinken is greeted by a member of the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs Protocol Office upon his arrival in Riyadh on April 6, 2015.

Omani Foreign Minister Yusuf bin Alawi greets U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry as he arrives at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Muscat, Oman, for a bilateral meeting preceding a conversation with Sultan Qaboos on November 14, 2016.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is Greeted by Saudi Undersecretary for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Protocol Affairs Azzam Al-Gain at the King Salman Air Base upon arrival in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on October 21, 2017.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo meets with Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, in Riyadh on April 29, 2018. (

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry stands with Foreign Minister Javad Zarif of Iran, Baroness Catherine Ashton of the European Union, and Foreign Minister Yusuf bin Alawai of Oman before the U.S., Iran, and the EU began three-way negotiations about the future of Iran's nuclear program in Muscat, Oman, on November 9, 2014.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry greets U.S. Ambassador to Qatar Susan Ziadeh upon his arrival in Doha, Qatar on June 22, 2013.

Saudi Arabia Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir addresses reporters during a joint news conference with U.S Secretary of State John Kerry following a series of meetings focused on Yemen and other regional hotspots on August 25, 2016, in the Royal Terminal 1 at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

President Kennedy visits Saud bin Abdul Aziz, King of Saudi Arabia, 11:00AM. President John F. Kennedy visits Saud bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud, King of Saudi Arabia (seated with the President on couch) at the residence of Jean Flagler Gonzalez, where King Saud stayed following a surgery in the United States. Palm Beach, Florida.

Former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice chats with a member of the Saudi Royal Family after welcoming the new King Salman of Saudi Arabia at the Erqa Royal Palace in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on January 27, 2015, and after joining President Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, and other dignitaries in extending condolences to the late King Abdullah.

Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo and Spokesperson Morgan Ortagus walk to the signing ceremony in Doha, Qatar, on February 29, 2020.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is greeted by U.S. Ambassador to Chad Geeta Pasi upon arrival to N�Djamena, Chad on March 12, 2018.

(L-R) Annalena Baerbock (Buendnis 90 Die Gruenen), Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs, and Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Qatar, photographed during a joint meeting in Doha, 17.05.2023. Baerbock is travelling to Saudi Arabia and Qatar on her three-day trip., Doha, Qatar, Asia

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson meets with Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja, Nigeria on March 12, 2018.

Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo meets with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, at the Department of State in Washington, D.C. on November 14, 2019.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry poses for a photo with Sultan Muhammadu Sa�ad Abubakar, and Governor of Sokoto Aminu Waziri Tambuwai at the Sultan�s Palace in Sokoto, Nigeria, on August 23, 2016, before the Secretary held meetings with religious leaders and delivered a speech about countering violent extremism.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry walks with Nigerian officials and U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria James Entwistle after arriving at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, Nigeria, on May 29, 2015, to attend the inauguration of President-elect Muhammadu Buhari in the nation's first political transfer of power from one political party to another.

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