Reset with Riyadh: On U.S.-Saudi Arabia ties

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman’s visit to the White House marked the official end of a brief chill in relations between the most powerful country and the most influential Arab state. Ties had hit a low after Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi dissident journalist in the U.S., was murdered inside the kingdom’s consulate in Istanbul in October 2018. U.S. intelligence agencies later concluded that MBS had ordered the killing. During his election campaign, Joe Biden had vowed to hold MBS accountable. Yet, it was Mr. Biden who took steps to rehabilitate the prince. He travelled to Jeddah in July 2022 where he greeted the heir to the Saudi throne with a fist bump. Donald Trump, who brokered the 2020 Abraham Accords, has been keen to deepen America’s traditional ties with its Arab partners. On Tuesday, he defended MBS’s human rights record, claiming that the prince “knew nothing” about Khashoggi’s murder. He also promised to sell tanks and F-35 fighters to Saudi Arabia, despite Israel’s objections. It will also get access to America’s most advanced computer chips. MBS is seeking to build vast data centres to transform Saudi Arabia into a technological power house.

Historically, Saudi Arabia’s abysmal human rights record has played little role in shaping its relationship with Washington, long anchored in geopolitical and energy interests. There have been moments of strain, such as the 1973 oil shock, the post-9/11 distrust or the chill after the Khashoggi murder, but both sides have consistently prioritised strategic alignment over values. One persistent complication, however, has been Israel, America’s closest regional ally, which does not have formal diplomatic ties with Riyadh. After the Abraham Accords were signed, the Biden administration pushed Saudi Arabia to join the framework by normalising ties with Israel. MBS had said in September 2023 that Saudi Arabia and Israel were in an advanced stage of negotiations. But the October 7 Hamas attack and Israel’s genocidal Gaza war halted the momentum. Today, Saudi Arabia says it remains open to joining the Accords, but only if there is a credible, time-bound path towards a two-state solution to the Palestine question — a position Israel opposes. Mr. Trump appears to have realised both the regional complexities and Israel’s intransigence. He now seems prepared to deepen ties with Saudi Arabia without demanding an immediate commitment to recognise Israel. In effect, he has de-hyphenated Saudi Arabia from the Abraham Accords, for now, choosing instead to cultivate direct, stronger ties with the kingdom, which he views as central to his broader West Asia plans.