US President Biden, who as a candidate vowed to make Saudi Arabia a “pariah” in response to the assassination of a prominent dissident, has decided to travel to Riyadh this month to rebuild relations with the oil-rich kingdom at a time when he is seeking to lower gasoline prices at home and isolate Russia abroad, according to The New York Times.

Biden planned to add the visit to a previously scheduled trip to Europe and Israel, US administration officials said, asking for anonymity because the trip had not been formally announced. During his stop in Riyadh, the president will meet with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who was deemed responsible for the dismemberment of the dissident, the Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi. Biden will also meet with the leaders of other Arab nations, including Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, and the United Arab Emirates.

The visit represents the triumph of realpolitik over moral outrage, according to foreign policy experts. In the wake of the Ukrainian war, Biden has found it necessary to court other energy producers to replace oil from Moscow and stabilize world markets. The group of oil-producing nations called OPEC Plus, led by Saudi Arabia, announced on Thursday that it would increase production modestly in July and August. American officials expect the group to do more in the fall, but it may not be enough to bring down prices at the pump before November’s US congressional elections.