A SIGNIFICANT OCCASION

It has now been confirmed by American officials that King Fahd's proposed visit to the United States is to take place some time next month. It will be the Saudi monarch's first visit in eight years, his last trip to the US was in the spring of 1977 - before the Camp David meetings that produced the Egyptian-Israeli peace agreement. Where the Middle East is concerned, the pre-Camp David era is political light-years distant from the situation in the region today. Although many of the basic political reference points are still serviceable, the views and attitudes of eight years ago will not have much relevance for either King Fahd or his American hosts.