From July 13 to 16, US President Joe Biden visited Israel, Palestine and Saudi Arabia one after another, and met with leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Iraq, Jordan and Egypt in Saudi Arabia. Biden claimed that his visit focused on deepening the integration of Israel and the Middle East, discussing Iran's response to regional security threats, and urging the petroleum exporting countries to increase crude oil production. However, factors such as the current fragile caretaker cabinet in Israel, the Saudi Arabia’s attitudes on the so-called "pariah state" by Biden, the conservatism of Petroleum Exporting Countries on production increase, as well as the neutrality of Arab countries on Russia-Ukraine conflict, shall all make Biden's trip less optimistic.

This salon invited Wang Suolao, associate professor of the School of International Relations, Peking University and deputy director of the Institute of Area Studies, to give a lecture. The  salon coincided with the beginning of Biden's visit to the Middle East, so with the title of "Biden's Visit to the Middle East," Wang Suolao's speech focused on the Middle East, threaded through his route - Israel, Palestine, and Saudi Arabia, and explored Biden's late trip to the region. He believes that although Biden attached great importance to his visit, it might not bear great fruits.