A reading of Saudi-American bilateral relations

When Saudi Arabia’s founding King Abdulaziz laid the foundation for Saudi-American relations in his famous meeting with US President Franklin Roosevelt, he was keen to establish relations between two independent and friendly nations committed to developing mutually beneficial and equitable ties.

Despite the limited resources available to the nascent Saudi state at that time — represented by its wealth, geographical location and the promising economic opportunities looming on the horizon in terms of oil — the founder, with his diplomatic acumen and foresight regarding the importance of the US in the emerging world order, granted concessions for oil exploration. This marked the beginning of a continuous and beneficial relationship between the two countries.

King Saud, King Faisal, King Khaled, King Fahd and King Abdullah were committed to developing and maintaining these relations, even amid some temporary challenges, such as the oil embargo of 1973 and the events of Sept. 11, 2001. However, Saudi Arabia, based on the principles of equality and the exchange of interests and benefits, has maintained these relations.

I still recall, in this regard, the American position (due to my previous work at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs) regarding our accession to the World Trade Organization. The US was the only country with which we were unable to finalize negotiations because of its insistence on not approving our membership as a developing nation, its refusal to allow us to impose a permanent ban on a number of products that contravene Islamic law, and its proposal to impose extremely high tariffs exceeding 1,000 percent.

The negotiations reached a deadlock. King Abdullah, who was crown prince at the time, decided to send a strong and impactful message to President George W. Bush explaining the extent of the economic opportunities that Saudi Arabia offered to the US, as well as the importance of considering Saudi Arabia’s Islamic identity and the impossibility of allowing certain products into the Kingdom. He concluded by explaining the repercussions of the American position on relations between the two countries. Less than a month later, in 2005, Saudi Arabia signed up to join the World Trade Organization.

Saudi Arabia, under the leadership of King Salman and the crown prince, has a brilliant and promising future

Faisal Trad

Today, under King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the architect of Vision 2030, the Kingdom has managed, within a decade, to become a regional and international center of power on the political, economic, social and cultural levels. Anyone following these developments will find that most, if not all, world leaders have visited Riyadh. Riyadh has also witnessed an unprecedented surge in hosting Gulf, Arab, Islamic and international summits, as well as unprecedented activity in the economic, investment, trade, social and cultural spheres. Saudi Arabia has consistently achieved leading positions in all areas year after year.

It suffices to recall the Kingdom’s efforts regarding recognition of the state of Palestine and its endeavors to convince the international community, particularly the US, of the justice of the Palestinian cause and the necessity of halting the Israeli war of extermination on Gaza. This culminated in Monday’s UN Security Council Resolution 2803, which is considered the most important resolution in the history of the Palestinian cause since the landmark Resolution 242 in 1967. Saudi Arabia, along with other segments of the international community, exerted tremendous efforts to add crucial amendments regarding the necessity of taking the necessary steps to establish a Palestinian state.

The crown prince’s historic visit to the US this week crowned these bilateral relations, elevating Saudi Arabia to the status of a major non-NATO ally and a trusted strategic partner. The unprecedented reception the crown prince received at the White House, the praise and admiration expressed by President Donald Trump in the Oval Office, the official dinner held in his honor, the agreements signed, the strategic partnership in artificial intelligence, the investment forum and the announcement of $300 billion of investment agreements says it all.

Despite all its unprecedented achievements, Saudi Arabia has not forgotten its Arab and Islamic roots, as is its custom. The discussions encompassed everything that contributes to the security and prosperity of the Arab and Islamic worlds. The issues of Palestine, Lebanon, Syria and Sudan all featured prominently. Trump even announced that the crown prince had requested his direct intervention to promote peace in Sudan, following his earlier lifting of sanctions on Syria at the crown prince’s request.

All this confirms that Saudi Arabia, under the leadership of King Salman and the crown prince, has a brilliant and promising future, and it will, God willing, continue to be a center of power in the Arab and Islamic worlds and one of the most important members of the G20.

• Faisal Trad is a former Saudi Ambassador to Japan, India, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Arab League, the EU, the UN in Geneva, and other international organizations.