US President Joe Biden  invited his Emirati counterpart, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, to visit the United States, a friendly gesture after months of strained ties over the Ukraine war and other issues.

“Challenges you face today only make it a heck of a lot more important we spend time together. I want to formally invite you to the States,” Biden said after the two men met on the sidelines of a gathering of Arab leaders in Saudi Arabia.