The United States and Saudi Arabia: A 75-Year-Long Diplomatic Partnership

The United States and Saudi Arabia: A 75-Year-Long Diplomatic Partnership

02/19/2020 07:43 AM EST

Office of the Spokesperson
Secretary Michael R. Pompeo, December 9, 2019

Secretary Pompeo will travel to Saudi Arabia from February 19-21 to meet with King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan, and other Saudi officials to advance our long-standing shared interests, including the stability and security of the Gulf region, as well as economic prosperity and energy security.
OUR PARTNERSHIP ANCHORS PEACE AND STABILTY IN THE MIDDLE EASTFebruary 14 marked the 75th anniversary of the beginning of the U.S.-Saudi relationship, when President Franklin Delano Roosevelt met with King Abdulaziz aboard the USS Quincy in 1945. We have maintained close diplomatic, military, and economic ties ever since.
The U.S.-Saudi partnership is a critical bulwark for peace and stability in the Middle East, especially in the face of Iranian aggression in Yemen, Iraq, Lebanon, and Syria. Saudi Arabia helps to ensure the stability of global energy markets and participates in multi-nation task forces working to protect freedom of navigation across critical Gulf trade routes.

The U.S.-Saudi partnership is rooted in more than seven decades of close friendship and cooperation, enriched by the exchange opportunities that are key to the promotion of mutual understanding and the long-term development of ties.
Roughly 3,000 Saudi Arabian alumni of State Department programs have gained skills and firsthand knowledge of America, then returned home to engage their own communities in activities that advance entrepreneurship, empower women and youth, reach underserved populations, and work to improve education.
Upon request, the United States provides technical support to ministries in the Kingdom, particularly in areas of education, trade, and good governance.