King Abdullah II
King Abdullah IIReuters

US President Joe Biden will host Jordan’s King Abdullah II at the White House on July 19, The Associated Press reported Wednesday.

The White House said King Abdullah, Queen Rania and Crown Prince Hussein will visit with the Bidens to “highlight the enduring and strategic partnership between the United States and Jordan.”

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the visit “will be an opportunity to discuss the many challenges facing the Middle East and showcase Jordan’s leadership role in promoting peace and stability in the region.”

The US and Jordan are allies, and Washington has in the past delivered Black Hawk helicopters to Jordan, a move aimed at helping protect the kingdom's borders and counter the threat from Islamist terrorists.

In 2017, the United States allocated $470 million to Jordan's army and air force, the American embassy said.

This included pilot and maintenance training, spares, ground equipment, weapons, ammunition and shelters for the Black Hawks.

In 2015, Washington said it would increase overall U.S. assistance to Jordan from $660 million to $1 billion annually for between 2015 and 2017.