King Abdullah to visit White House April 5

Jordan's King Abdullah will visit the White House next week for his second meeting with Donald Trump since the US president took office, a US official told AFP Thursday.

Trump and Abdullah briefly met at a prayer breakfast in Washington last month.

The official confirmed that Abdullah will visit on April 5, amid increased diplomatic efforts to get the Palestinian-Israeli peace process back on track.

Earlier in the week Trump will host Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, another key player in the stalled peace process.

Trump's Middle East envoy Jason Greenblatt has been shuttling around the Middle East trying to build momentum for a deal that would be the ultimate achievement for a president who prides himself on bargaining prowess.

The issue was also raised when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the White House last month. 

No date has yet been set for Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas to visit the White House, although a tentative invitation has been made.

The Jordanian king's visit also comes as fight against the Islamic State group enters a crucial stage, with allies attempting to wrestle back control of Mosul and Raqqa.

Relations between Amman and Washington recently hit a bump when Trump introduced rules barring large electronic devises on flights from Jordan and the United States.

Several other countries faced similar measures.

Source: AFP