Jordan's King Abdullah met Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh on Monday in a visit aimed at co-ordinating the positions of the two countries against strategic threats. The kingdom's ambassador to Jordan said ahead of the visit that the regional situation required the meeting but the deep political and personal relationship between the Jordanian monarch and the Saudi crown prince meant visit went deeper than that of an official exchange. The two allies share concerns about Turkish expansion in the Middle East, its increased influence and involvement in Syria and Iraq and are both close allies of the US. Jordan also opposes Iranian polices in the Middle East but has taken a more muted stand against Tehran. Amman shares Riyadh's concerns about the Muslim Brotherhood and separately welcomed the reconciliation in January that put a formal end to the Gulf schism between Qatar and Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain. The king was assured of Prince Mohammed's health after he underwent surgery for appendicitis two weeks ago, the official Jordanian news agency reported. Two weeks ago, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Al Safadi discussed with Qatari officials a pledge by Doha to invest $500m in Jordan and to find job opportunities for its workers. Saudi Arabia is also a major backer of Jordan, which is facing a recession and undergoing a surge of coronavirus cases. Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Kuwait gave $833 million in cash to Jordan in 2018. Mohammed bin Salman also welcomed Bahraini Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad in Riyadh on Monday evening. Mohammed bin Salman held a meeting with his counterpart in the presence of Economy and Planning Minister Mohammed Al Jadaan and Finance Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan. Both countries reviewed bilateral relations and discussed coordinated and joint responses to deal with regional issues.
