Despite President Donald Trump’s criticisms of his predecessor, President Joe Biden, the two men have one thing in common: a strong relationship with Saudi Arabia. True, Biden’s relationship with the Kingdom was on shaky ground at first, but it improved and eventually became as solid as could be. Riyadh’s strategy is to maintain its historic relationship with Washington, whether a Republican or Democratic administration is in power. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman emphasised this policy emphatically at the White House. He stressed that the bilateral relationship began with a Democrat (President Roosevelt) and flourished under a Republican (President Reagan); it is now as robust as it has ever been with a Republican president in power. The White House will no doubt be eventually occupied by a Democrat at some point.
The first point to know in order to understand the relationship between Riyadh and Washington is that one should not check if the administration is red or blue. This strategic alliance has endured for decades because of economic and political considerations, not sentiment.
The second point is that nations inherently pursue their own interests and relations with one another around these interests. When Trump speaks about deals, he is addressing his domestic audience: more jobs mean more popularity. Saudi Arabia also benefits from this relationship. The Crown Prince underlined this point when he said that Saudi investments are not made to please President Trump or America, but to seize real opportunities. These investments serve the long-term economic needs of Saudi Arabia. This is the ultimate objective; everything else is mere bickering and chatter.
The third point about the meeting is that we should note the Crown Prince’s assertion that the leader of al-Qaeda, Osama bin Laden, deliberately recruited fifteen Saudis to participate in the 9/11 attacks in order to undermine the relationship between Riyadh and Washington. That was the main objective. Bin Laden knew that bringing down two towers would not bring the US to its knees. His goal was to create a wedge between the West and the Muslim world and fan the flames of religious hatred and conflict. This plan failed thanks to the strength of the relationship between the two countries, which allowed them to overcome this difficult crisis. Al-Qaeda has weakened, bin Laden was killed, and the relationship between Washington and Riyadh has never been better. In short, the forces of good have triumphed over the forces of evil. The dream of religious fanatics, terrorist organizations, and sectarian militias is to weaken this alliance, and they have pursued it through violence, propaganda, and lies. They know that undercutting the relationship between Riyadh and Washington would create an opening for them to impose themselves and their ideology.
The fourth point on the meeting is about the future. Investment in artificial intelligence and semiconductors is crucial for winning the global race to build the world of tomorrow. We should remember that extremist nationalist and religious ideologies, the pursuit of strongman rule, and brainwashing populations with illusions have all played a prominent role in the decline of our region. Asian states, among others, chose another path, building their economies and developing their societies. Accordingly, the Saudi Crown Prince and Trump’s conversations about investment in cutting-edge technologies are conversations about shaping the future, as well as fair economic and scientific competition.
