Shall we stick to the argument that says the relationship between the United States and Saudi Arabia is based, more or less, on oil-based interests? Personally, I don't think we should, at least not during the current period, when international oil prices are collapsing and the need for a strong American-Saudi commitment to solving the ongoing political crises in the Middle East is more urgent than ever. The current visit of Saudi King Salman bin Abdul Aziz to Washington is of vital importance, not only with regard to strengthening mutual cooperation between the two allies, but also due to the urgent need to find some sort of political solution to the ongoing struggles in Yemen and Syria. Fighting terrorism, which has increased in magnitude and impact in the Middle East region, is another issue that needs to be discussed between King Salman and US President Barack Obama. Above all, there is a need to discuss the nuclear agreement signed between Iran and the Western powers. The Saudis still have doubts concerning this agreement, despite their official approval of the draft. King Salman is worried about the Iranian attitude in the aftermath of the agreement which could, according to the Saudi vision, amplify Iranian ambitions towards hegemony over the Arab region. The king has asked Obama to announce clear measures to ensure Tehran's compliance with the agreement and to stop its usual interference in Gulf affairs. The Americans tried to calm Saudi Arabia and the other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries during the Camp David summit held three months ago. The summit, which Salman did not attend, called for bolstering intelligence cooperation between the US and the GCC. Salman's first visit to the US since ascending the throne in January 2015 will likely consider the Camp David meeting to be insufficient. There is a Saudi message that Obama needs to listen to, and the Saudis need a firmer commitment from the US to fight the Islamic State terrorist (IS) group that has occupied large parts of Syria and Iraq and poses a serious threat to a number of countries in the region, including Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia, and, let us say, the Arabs in general are not satisfied with the outcomes of the war launched by the US- and UK-led coalition against IS. The advance of the terrorist group could fuel suspicions that the West is extending the time needed to crush IS in order to gain more funds from the Gulf countries who will quicken their steps to buy more weapons from the West. President Obama has talked with King Salman several times on this issue. He visited Riyadh in late January when he presented his condolences on the death of Salman's brother, King Abdullah. In mid-July, Obama discussed a number of regional and bilateral issues with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir during his visit to Washington, including the Iran nuclear agreement and ways to support a long-term partnership between the US and Saudi Arabia, as well as the situation in Yemen and the Syrian crisis and ways to fight IS. Washington does not want to run the risk of losing its strong and extensive relations with Saudi Arabia, even with the existence of the apparent differences in views that have emerged over the past few years. Obama has always described his country's relations with Saudi Arabia as an “exceptional friendship” and vowed in a statement last May to continue to build on this friendship. Salman's decision to open up the Saudi domestic market to US firms to engage in direct business is a sign of the strong Saudi desire to strengthen the economic relationship with the US. The Americans are likely to be happy with this, but they are not so satisfied with the increased political rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Egypt, and in particular with Russia. Both Arab countries have signed contracts worth billions of US dollars to modernise their armies with Russian weapons. The degree to which the US can now regain its leverage in the region is basically dependent on a firm commitment, coupled with real work to tackle violence and terrorism in the Middle East and activate its role in speeding up the peace process between the Palestinians and the Israelis. Iranian threats to the region could also weaken the bond between the Arabs and the US if the latter does not show enough interest in deterring them. Saudi-US relations are not just about oil: they should be based on good intentions, cooperative work and trust. The writer is a political analyst based in Jeddah.
