During a visit to Saudi Arabia,U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner told some of the country’s business leaders to expect what he called a “gradual recovery with more than the usual ups and downs and temporary reversals.”

Fadel Gheit, a managing director and senior oil and gas analyst at Oppenheimer and Company, joins Martin Savidge to discuss Geithner’s overtures to the Middle East.

But the ripple affect goes far beyond the United States. Over the weekend, a Canadian car parts maker and a Russian bank agreed to take control of GM’s European operations, including Opel in Germany and Vauxhall in Britain.

On Monday, U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner was in Beijing, trying to reassure the Chinese that this country is committed to bringing down the deficit as the U.S. recovers from the economic crisis.

Marcus Mabry, international business editor of The New York Times, joins Martin Savidge to discuss General Motors, Geithner’s trip to China, China’s concerns about the U.S. deficit and what comes next for the European auto business.