Saudi-US ties set for new heights

There have been differences over Washington’s rapprochement with Iran which the US did without taking into account Tehran’s foul play in the region. The move emboldened Iran which continues to meddle in the affairs of its neighboring countries. Saudi Arabia also urged Obama’s early intervention in Syria. The US administration chose to ignore the advice. The resultant ruin of Syria has destroyed the lives of millions. It has flooded neighboring states with refugees. It has built a comfortable nest for Daesh terrorists. 
In Yemen, the Kingdom had to act to check the Iranian-backed Houthi insurgency and restore the legitimate government through Operation Decisive Storm. 
Unfortunately, Washington has wanted to believe the government in Tehran is part of the regional solution. The fact is, Iran is, along with Israel, the core regional problem.
Despite these differences, the Saudi-US ties remain robust and the visit of the deputy crown prince for the third time testifies to that. 
The Americans recognize the importance of their Saudi ally. This is a time of unprecedented danger in the Middle East and North Africa. At such an hour, Washington is looking to reliable partners. The Kingdom has never been anything less. The deputy crown prince and his large delegation clearly talked security with the Americans. Saudi Arabia has long been in the front-line in the battle against Al-Qaeda and Daesh. It has defeated one terror wave. It is now grappling successfully with a second. It has readily shared its knowledge and expertise with other nations, not least the Americans.
Washington of course is the Kingdom’s largest trading partner. It is a major source of defense equipment for our armed forces. The deputy crown prince and his delegation arrived in America with details of the transformational Saudi Vision 2030. One part of the full-on development of the non-oil economy, is the fostering of advanced manufacturing. This includes defense equipment. American defense suppliers will have been eager to hear details of this part of Saudi Vision 2030. Silicon Valley will have been no less interested to see how they can take advantage of the Vision. Technology and knowledge transfer with the Arab world’s largest economy offer clear commercial opportunities.
At a security level, the top commanders in the Saudi royal party are in regular contact with their opposite numbers in the US defense and security establishments. The face-to-face meetings during this visit have clearly advanced these relationships. It is one thing for countries to be in formal alliance. Personal meetings cement these links. They build all-important trust.
And trust is key in the alliance between the Kingdom and the United States. There have been strenuous efforts from some quarters to undermine this. There have been malign attempts to cast Saudis as the source of terror. Islamophobia is a great evil. And because of the Kingdom’s crucial position at the heart of Islam, it is the obvious target for this bigotry. The Obama administration knows that it has to push back against these wild lies. The royal visit will have been a reminder that it probably needs to try harder. Strong allies must protect each other’s interests and defend their integrity.
There is no doubting that the deputy crown prince’s visit has been greeted with excitement in the States. The ambitions of Saudi Vision 2030 are compelling. They are reinvigorating an economy that has already made remarkable strides. But they signal something else. The Kingdom has long exercised its considerable influence through quiet diplomacy. It has always favored the projection of soft power.
However, those who wanted to interfere in the Arab world, took this as a sign of weakness. Operation Decisive Storm and Saudi involvement in Syrian and Iraqi anti-terror airstrikes will have come as a shock. The Kingdom has demonstrated that it has both the will and the power to counter outside meddling. In Yemen, it has acted with Washington’s support and encouragement. The puzzle has always been that the source of the tragedy in Yemen, Iraq and Syria has been Iran. The US nuclear deal that ended economic sanctions empowered Iran and added to the challenge that the Kingdom and its regional allies face. But, it is heartening that the US is realizing that Iran needs to be reined in.
Hopefully, the world will realize how inappropriate it has been to give a free hand to Iran to push forward its evil designs.

Source : Arab News