Obama visit to boost relations
The landmark visit of US President Barack Obama to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, cutting short his official visit to India, reflects the historic and time-tested relations between the two strategic allies.
This is the first official visit by the head of state of a major country to the Kingdom after Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman ascended the throne on Friday.
Political analysts have said the two leaders would make use of the meeting to discuss all major regional and international issues including Syria, Yemen and terrorism.
“The summit talks in Riyadh would open a new chapter in relations between the United States and its important ally in the Middle East,” said a Saudi analyst.
King Salman had met with Obama in Washington in April 2012 when he was crown prince. During that visit, he also held talks with senior American officials on major international issues and ways of strengthening bilateral cooperation.
US officials have expressed their confidence in King Salman. James B. Smith, who served as US ambassador to Saudi Arabia between 2009 and 2013, said: “We know Salman well, he was governor of Riyadh for the better part of 50 years, he is well known to the US government,” Smith said.
Frederic Wehrey of the US-based Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Middle East Program said the strategic alliance between the two countries would continue under King Salman. However, he pointed out that Saudis were unhappy over the Obama administration’s lukewarm approach to Middle East issues such as Syria and Palestine.
Saudi Arabia and the US have a longstanding relationship dating back to the 1930s, when American businessmen first traveled to the Kingdom to help develop the country’s natural resources.
“Today, the Saudi-US relationship is stronger than ever,” said a report published by the Saudi Embassy in Washington on its website. On issues of national security and economic opportunity, the Saudi-US relationship is vital, it added.
The Kingdom remains one of America’s closest allies and strongest economic partners in the Middle East. American and Saudi security forces work together to root out terrorism.
“Our two countries continue to cultivate this partnership through a broad range of cultural and educational exchanges,” the embassy said.
Referring to cooperation in coun- terterrorism, the embassy said: “Saudi Arabia is among the coalition nations of Operation Inherent Resolve conducting airstrikes against ISIS in Syria. The two countries have established two Joint Task Forces— one to combat terrorists, another to combat terror financing.”
The Saudi-US Strategic Dialogue, a counterterrorism working group created following 9/11 attacks, continues to help ensure the governments’ efforts and resources are aligned, the embassy said.
In 2010, Saudi intelligence provided key information to American officials. The information helped foil an attempted terrorist plot involving bombs heading to the US that originated in Yemen. In 2011, the FBI helped foil a plot to assassinate the Saudi Ambassador in Washington.
For the past four decades, the US has been Saudi Arabia’s largest trading partner. Saudi Arabia is the 9th largest trading partner of the US with bilateral trade reaching $70 billion.
In April 2010, the US-Saudi Business Council, in cooperation with US Chamber of Commerce and the US Department of Commerce, organized the first US-Saudi Business Forum in Chicago, which was attended by government officials and business leaders from both countries. The second forum was held in Atlanta in 2012, the third in Los Angeles in 2013.
Referring to the growing cultural exchange between the two countries, the embassy said King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), which was opened in September 2009, established a digital library in partnership with the US Library of Congress in 2008. KAUST has signed agreements with many American universities.
Under the King Abdullah Foreign Scholarship Program, which was launched in September 2006, more than 82,500 Saudis now study in reputable American universities and institutes.
The Kingdom remains one of America’s closest allies and strongest economic partners in the Middle East.