Saudi foreign minister says Biden's fist bump with Saudi crown prince was 'a win'

President Joe Biden walks off Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House on July 16, 2022 in Washington, DC. President Biden just returned from visiting Jeddah, Saudi Arabia where he met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, known as MBS, and met with the Israeli leader earlier in the week.
President Joe Biden walks off Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House on July 16, 2022 in Washington, DC. President Biden just returned from visiting Jeddah, Saudi Arabia where he met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, known as MBS, and met with the Israeli leader earlier in the week. Photo credit Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images

In what's being called one of the more awkward exchanges between world leaders, President Joe Biden offered a fist bump while meeting Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Biden has been criticized for his informal greeting of bin Salman, but the meeting between the two was called a "win" for the U.S. President, by Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, in an interview with CNN.

Critics have said Biden's bump was inappropriate, and photos of the encounter were quickly circulated online.

But not everyone sees the image negatively, with bin Farhan sharing that he sees "the image as a win for President Biden."

"He got out of it a meeting with a key leader in the region," bin Farhan said. "He got out of it, I think, reinvigoration of the strategic partnership between Saudi Arabia and the United States."

The meeting between the two world leaders took place in Jeddah, as Biden came to look for solutions to one of the main issues plaguing Americans, record-breaking gas prices.

Gas prices were at record-highs just weeks ago when the national average cracked $5 for the first time. However, in recent weeks they have fallen drastically, currently sitting at $4.53, according to AAA.

Bin Farhan shared with CNN that his country was willing to discuss the matter with the president while staying within limits.

But, the move by Biden was seen as controversial, with unease lingering over Saudi Arabia's human rights issues.

Some of the controversy from Biden's trip comes as U.S. suspicions that bin Salman is responsible for the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Bin Farhan had shared that he had not heard Biden accuse the crown prince of being responsible for Khashoggi's murder, but when Biden was asked if he was telling the truth after returning to the White House, the president responded "no."

When it comes to how the president viewed the trip, specifically the attention from the fist bump, he asked reporters after stepping off Marine One, "Why don't you guys talk about something that matters? I'm happy to answer a question that matters."

Featured Image Photo Credit: Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images