News - Middle East: The slain Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s shadow loomed large over US President Joe Biden’s maiden visit to Saudi Arabia on Friday and his much-anticipated meeting with Khashoggi’s killer – the kingdom’s de-facto ruler and crown prince Mohammad Bin Salman.

Biden, who defended his visit to the Arab kingdom despite blistering criticism from human rights watchdogs, was greeted by a fist bump by the notorious prince, known by his initials MBS.

The two met at the Royal Palace in the Saudi port city of Jeddah on the second leg of Biden's West Asia tour.

US president said he told the crown prince that he held him responsible for the 2018 murder of Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist and a US citizen, as they held deliberations meant to reset relations with the key Arab ally.

"With respect to the murder of Khashoggi, I raised it at the top of the meeting, making it clear what I thought of it at the time and what I think about it now," Biden told reporters.

He said he was “straight forward and direct in discussing” the issue of Khashoggi with the hosts.

Khashoggi, who was murdered and dismembered by a Saudi "hit squad" at the kingdom’s consulate in Istanbul on October 2, 2018, used to be a vocal critic of the Saudi regime and the crown prince.

According to reports, he was lured into the diplomatic mission under the pretext of being provided with papers for his wedding. He was suffocated and dismembered while his fiance waited outside for him.