Plain Speaking Strengthens Saudi-U.S. relations

In the past 12 months relations between Saudi Arabia and the United States have emerged from five years of what the Riyadh government regards as a dark period of deep suspicion, mistrust and misperception.

Saudis were particularly hurt last November when the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing entitled Saudi Arabia, Friend or Foe, causing Prince Turki Al-Faisal, Riyadh's ambassador to Washington, to point out that, whatever differences have occurred, the kingdom had never been an enemy of the U.S.

Recalling the embittered atmosphere in a talk at the Brookings Institution in Washington three months ago, Prince Turki said: “It was a horrible period. Saudi Arabia, for one, faced brutal criticism. Our country, our faith and our national character were maligned almost daily in books, newspapers and on television.”

Today, however, both governments believe that their 60-year-long alliance has endured these and other challenges, and effectively survived its most testing time.

Suspicions of Saudi Arabia were inflamed by the fact that 15 of the terrorists who carried out the 9/11 attacks in the U.S. were Saudi citizens. They were exacerbated by an attack on the U.S. consulate in Jeddah by al- Qaeda gunmen in December 2004 when five embassy employees were killed. Saudis were distressed, in turn, by American restrictions placed on visas for Saudis.

Criticism of the kingdom from Congress was frequently harsh and the US administration was for some time concerned over what it regarded as Riyadh's failure to fully confront the issue of the terrorist groups in the kingdom's midst, and its financing of such groups abroad.

However, both Riyadh and Washington now appear to have taken heed of each other's worries and concentrated their attention on the fact that, as they are the world's largest oil-producing and oil-consuming countries, there is a vital need for a strong and reliable partnership.

They have, therefore, gone to some lengths to reaffirm their commitment to each other. They certainly share the view that the world's major problems – the war on terrorism, bringing stability to the Middle East and energy security – cannot be successfully resolved without their close commitment and cooperation. In this respect, the U.S. administration regards the accession of King Abdullah a year ago as an important turning point and believes the relationship is now taking a new course.

For its part, Riyadh believes that Washington recognizes that the problems of the Middle East and the Arab and Islamic worlds can no longer be regarded as side issues.

As in any relationship there are matters on which the two sides disagree. But in the current atmosphere they are able to speak candidly and attempt to work out solutions. As C. David Welch, the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, has said, “If that's not possible, we at least agree on what we disagree on, and can work forward from that.”

This was underscored by Saudi Arabia's opposition to the U.S. invasion of Iraq. However, both governments recognize that they need to cooperate on military matters to deal with the issues of oil supplies, the war on terrorism, and Middle East stability.

A key element in overcoming the distrust that arose after 9/11 has been the creation of what is termed a “strategic dialogue.” This framework was established by President Bush and King Abdullah, who at that time was still Crown Prince, at their summit meeting in Jeddah in April last year. The objective of the arrangement is to institutionalize relationships across government departments in both countries to ensure that issues are dealt with effectively.

The first formal meeting was between Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Prince Saud Al-Faisal, the Saudi foreign minister, last November.

Dialogue meetings take place every six months, alternating between Saudi Arabia and the U.S, to discuss issues of strategic importance.

The working groups meet on a continuous or “as needed” basis to deal with functional issues and provide a framework through which departments and ministries from both governments can tackle matters of importance to both countries.

Through the framework senior officials from both governments have the opportunity to assess the overall relationship and to exchange views on strategic matters, whether bilateral, regional or international.

Officials say the dialogue has facilitated clear and honest exchanges of views and enabled each side to educate the other about aspects of their respective societies and systems, which have sometimes been misconstrued. This, they say, has led to a better understanding and eased some of the differences of opinion.

There are working groups dealing with counter terrorism, military affairs, energy, economy and finance, consular affairs and matters such as cultural and educational exchanges.

Currently, efforts are being made to reach agreement on a merit-based program for Saudi undergraduates to study in the U.S. under the auspices of the King Abdulaziz Al-Saud-Franklin Delano Roosevelt Scholarship Program.

In tackling social matters, Washington has been pleased by the decision of the Saudi government to form an inter-agency group to enforce Saudi laws regarding trafficking in persons. It has also welcomed the measures Riyadh has taken to combat extremism and intolerance.

The two sides are working together to establish a Junior Achievement chapter to promote entrepreneurship and job-skills training for Saudi youth, and to foster private sector development in the kingdom. They are committed to increasing people-to-people contacts.

Riyadh is encouraging its officials, business leaders and citizens to visit the U.S and is particularly keen for its students to spend time here. “They will not only be receiving a world-class education; they will be forming the next generation of friendships and bonds between Saudis and Americans,” says Prince Turki.

In his impassioned address to the Brookings Institution, the prince noted that since September 11 fewer than 20 members of Congress had visited Saudi Arabia. “For a country of such critical importance to American regional and global affairs, why have so few American representatives come to the Kingdom?” he asked.

“We want them to meet our businessmen. We want them to hear from our citizens – our men, our women and our children. I guarantee that if they come to the kingdom, their outlook on us will be changed to the positive.”

Speaking for many Saudi business leaders, Ibrahim Bin Fahad Al Assaf, executive vice-president of the Al Oula Development Company, one of the leading real-estate enterprises, says too many Americans are neglecting the potential for investment in Saudi Arabia.

“They need to understand more about the country and the opportunities available here,” he says. “I hope this message reaches the people who are only receiving bad news and negative information about our country.”

However, for citizens of either country, obtaining a visa to visit the other can still a problem.

U.S. Assistant Secretary Welch has expressed his keenness to encourage educational exchanges between the two countries. In an interview with the Saudi-US Relations Information Service in March, he spoke of his disappointment at the low number of Saudi students in the U.S. and said this was a situation that King Abdullah was keen to rectify.

“We don't want to end up with a situation, ten, fifteen, twenty years down the road where we take a look at the Saudi cabinet of the day and we don't see people like we see today – like, for example, Prince Turki and Prince Saud, who had been educated in the United States,” said Welch.

“Those are links that are enormously beneficial for us in cultivating the kind of relationship needed to succeed in our foreign policy objectives there, but also enormously beneficial for Saudis in bringing to development in the kingdom some of the experience that they gained here in America.”

Both governments are working to achieve a greater degree of access for each other's citizens while retaining what they regard as the right balance between openness and protection and, says Welch, “some significant progress has been made in that area.”

By Michael Knipe