Jeddah, Saudi Arabia — US Secretary of State Antony Blinken heads to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday to strengthen strained ties with the long-time ally as the oil-rich kingdom forges closer relations with America’s rivals.
Blinken’s three-day trip will also focus on efforts to end conflicts in Sudan and Yemen, the joint battle against the Islamic State group and the Arab world’s relations with Israel.
His visit comes at a time of quickly shifting alliances in the Middle East, centered around a China-brokered rapprochement in March between regional heavyweights Saudi Arabia and Iran.
Another landmark change saw Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad invited back to the Arab League last month for the first time since the start of the 12-year civil war in which his government has been backed by Russia and Iran.
“There is just a tremendous amount of work that we’re trying to do,” a US State Department senior official dealing with Arabian Peninsula affairs, Daniel Benaim, said before Blinken’s trip.
“We’re focused on an affirmative agenda here and the great deal of work our countries can do together.”
Blinken was due to land in the Red Sea city of Jeddah in the evening and is expected to meet Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, before heading to Riyadh on Wednesday for a Gulf Cooperation Council meeting.
The visit is Blinken’s first since the kingdom restored diplomatic ties with Iran, which the West considers a pariah over its contested nuclear activities and involvement in regional conflicts.
The United States offered cautious support for the deal that was sealed in China, the rising power making inroads in the Middle East.
Israel relations
US-Saudi relations, centered for decades on energy and defense, were badly strained by the 2018 murder of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents.
Washington was also upset when Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest oil exporter, refused to help bring down skyrocketing energy prices after Russia’s attack on Ukraine in February last year.
Prince Mohammed, 37, has steered a more independent foreign policy course, also hosting Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Monday.
Iran, the arch-enemy of the United States and Israel for decades, is set to reopen its embassy in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday following a seven-year hiatus.
Still, US-Saudi strategic relations are close especially on defense: Washington has long provided the Sunni Arab giant security protection from Shiite Iran, and Riyadh buys cutting-edge US weaponry.
US and Saudi diplomats have closely cooperated on efforts to broker a lasting ceasefire in Sudan’s eight-week-old war, so far unsuccessfully, and Saudi help was crucial in evacuating thousands of foreigners from the war zone.
The two allies are also engaged in the ongoing battle against IS, the jihadist group that has lost all its territory in the Middle East but is increasingly active in parts of Africa.
They are also discussing efforts to end the conflict in Yemen, where a Saudi-led coalition has long provided military support to the government in a fight against Houthi rebels backed by Iran.
The United States also hopes that Saudi Arabia will eventually agree to normalize relations with Israel, which already built ties with several other Arab countries under the Abraham Accords brokered by the Donald Trump administration.
On the eve of his Saudi trip, Blinken reiterated that “the United States has a real national security interest in promoting normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia”.
He said Washington has “no illusions” that this can be done quickly or easily but stressed that “we remain committed to working toward that outcome”.
Saudi Arabia has so far maintained that Israel must first recognize an independent Palestinian state.
Strategic collaborations cement US-Saudi relations WASHINGTON -- The United States, according to the US Department of State, shares a strategic partnership with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for over 80 years. Building upon the commitments made in the Jeddah Communique during President Biden’s visit to Saudi Arabia in 2022, the United States continues to partner with Saudi Arabia on political, security, counterterrorism, economic, and energy issues, including clean energy innovation, to advance our common vision for a more peaceful, secure, prosperous, and stable Middle East. In the past three years, the United States has completed new diplomatic facilities in Jeddah and Dhahran, and will launch the construction of a new embassy in Riyadh. These projects represent the physical foundation of the strong and lasting US-Saudi relationship and our investment in that relationship for the decades to come. Ensuring security Working with Saudi Arabia to ensure regional stability remains a pillar of our bilateral relationship. The United States is the top defense supplier for Saudi Arabia, and the Saudi defense establishment remains the single largest US Foreign Military Sales (FMS) customer, with cases valued at more than $140 billion. This partnership is predicated on our shared interest in security in the Gulf and deterring any foreign or regional power from threatening the region. The United States is committed to advancing our security partnership with Saudi Arabia through defense sales that will support a more integrated and regionally networked air and missile defense architecture, participating in joint military exercises, and countering the proliferation of unmanned aerial systems and missiles to non-state actors that threaten the peace and security of the region. Resolving regional conflicts The United States continues to work with Saudi Arabia to resolve regional conflicts and deal with global challenges. Our two countries are working together to end the conflict in Sudan, including in negotiating the Declaration of Commitment to Protect the Civilians of Sudan and enabling humanitarian assistance. Saudi Arabia has supported UN-led peace efforts in Yemen that have enabled over a year of de-escalation and created the best opportunity for peace since the war began. The United States welcomes steps that Saudi Arabia has taken in support for Ukraine, including pledging $400 million in aid to Ukraine earlier this year, while supporting key UN resolutions calling on Russia to end its full-scale invasion. In conjunction with the President’s 2022 visit, Saudi Arabia took a step toward greater regional economic integration by allowing overflights of civil aircraft of all countries, including Israel. Economic partnership The United States is cooperating with Saudi Arabia to advance its ambitious agenda to diversify away from oil and create jobs for young Saudis. The Saudi economy grew at 8.7 percent in 2022, providing abundant opportunities for U.S. companies to engage across many sectors, from energy to healthcare and entertainment. In 2021, the United States ran a $6.4 billion goods-and-services trade surplus with Saudi Arabia, and U.S. exports to Saudi Arabia supported over 165,000 American jobs. In March, our countries held the seventh Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) Council Meeting. U.S. energy and petrochemical companies maintain an extensive presence in the Saudi energy sector and enjoy multi-billion-dollar partnerships with two of Saudi Arabia’s largest companies, Aramco and SABIC. As it diversifies its economy under Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia is developing clean alternatives to traditional energy, representing tremendous opportunities for U.S. companies. At a recent technology conference in Riyadh, American firms announced more than $3.5 billion in new investments. Boeing recently completed a major deal with Saudi Arabia valued at nearly $37 billion. These landmark deals will support over 140,000 US jobs at over 300 Boeing suppliers across 38 states. Tech & clean energy cooperation In 2022, the two nations signed a bilateral Partnership Framework for Advancing Clean Energy. In alignment with the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII), the Framework created opportunities for new Saudi investments to accelerate the Saudi energy transition and combat the effects of climate change. The Framework focuses particularly on solar, green hydrogen, nuclear, and other clean energy technologies. Working with Saudi Arabia as part of the PGII, the United States is also making continued progress on establishing trusted and secure 5G and 6G networks using open radio access networks (Open RAN). Riyadh hosts the International Energy Forum Secretariat, the only international energy organization that includes energy producers and consumers. The State Department represents the United States on the Executive Board of the IEF. Saudi Arabia signed the Artemis Accords in 2022, committing themselves to the peaceful and responsible use and exploration of space. Saudi Arabia continues to be an active participant in the signatory working groups, helping to implement the Accords. Educational partnerships The United States and Saudi Arabia have longstanding and robust cultural and educational ties. Over 18,000 Saudi students currently study at U.S. universities, and an estimated 700,000 have graduated from such U.S. institutions over the last five decades. People-to-people educational, professional, cultural, and sports exchanges, such as the International Visitor Leadership Program, and the Sports Visitor and Sports Envoy Programs, also contribute to these close ties.