The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United States of America have strengthened their strategic partnership, opening up broader and more expansive horizons,as the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, may God protect him, and His Excellency U.S. President Obama affirmed the importance of continuing to strengthen their strategic relations for the benefit of their governments and peoples. His Excellency the President praised the Kingdom’s leadership role in the Arab and Islamic worlds.
Joint Discussions
During the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques" recent visit to the United States as head of the Kingdom’s delegation, both sides emphasized the importance of intensifying efforts to maintain regional security and stability, particularly in the face of Iran’s destabilizing activities. In this context, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques expressed his support for the nuclear agreement signed by the 5+1 countries with Iran, which, if implemented, will ensure that Iran does not acquire a nuclear weapon, thereby strengthening regional security.
The two leaders discussed a new strategic partnership for the 21st century and ways to significantly develop the relationship between the two countries, His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Deputy Crown Prince, Second Deputy Prime Minister, and Chairman of the Council of Economic and Development Affairs, presented a briefing to His Excellency the President that included the Kingdom’s vision for the strategic relationship, The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and His Excellency the President issued directives to officials in their respective governments to establish the appropriate mechanism to move forward with its implementation in the coming months
Joint investment projects
During the meeting, investment projects were presented to the U.S. side, including projects in the mining sector with proposed investments estimated at $200 billion, most notably in the phosphate and bauxite sectors, as well as investments in the oil and gas sectors, with proposed investments in these sectors over the next five years estimated at $300 billion.
Housing projects
During the summit, investment opportunities in the housing and healthcare sectors were presented to the U.S. side, aimed at meeting citizens" future needs. Investment opportunities in the retail sector were also presented, with the value of the projects on offer reaching approximately $75 billion.
Political Affairs
They expressed their satisfaction with the outcomes of the Camp David Summit held last May between the leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states and His Excellency President Obama, which aimed to strengthen the U.S.-Gulf partnership and enhance defense and security cooperation, The two leaders also reaffirmed their commitment to implementing all the agreements reached at Camp David.
The two leaders emphasized the importance of combating terrorism and extremism, and they reaffirmed their commitment to security cooperation between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United States, including joint efforts to combat al-Qaeda and ISIS, and praised their cooperation in curbing the flow of foreign fighters, countering ISIS’s hate-inciting media campaigns, and cutting off funding to terrorist organizations.
The two leaders also emphasized the need for long-term efforts spanning several years to combat terrorism and eliminate al-Qaeda and ISIS, which requires sustained cooperation from the rest of the world.
Regarding Yemen, both sides emphasized the need to reach a political solution within the framework of the Gulf Initiative, the outcomes of the National Dialogue, and Security Council Resolution 2216. The two leaders expressed their concern over the humanitarian situation in Yemen, and the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques reaffirmed the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s commitment to providing assistance to the Yemeni people and to working with coalition members and international partners, including the United Nations, to ensure that aid provided by the United Nations and its partners—including fuel—reaches those affected in Yemen, and to work toward opening Yemen’s Red Sea ports to operate them under UN supervision for the delivery of aid from the UN and its partners. The two leaders agreed to support and back UN-led humanitarian efforts.
The two leaders discussed the challenges of climate change and agreed to work together to achieve successful outcomes at the Paris negotiations this coming December, taking into account the Kingdom’s specific circumstances.
The King Praises
The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques sent a telegram of thanks to His Excellency President Barack Obama following the conclusion of his official visit to the United States, in which he expressed his gratitude for the warm welcome and generous hospitality he received.
He said, "I would like to once again commend the historic and strategic relations between our two countries, which are continuing to develop in all areas."
I would also like to assure Your Excellency that the discussions we held—particularly those concerning the new 21st-century strategic partnership between our two countries—will, God willing, contribute to deepening and strengthening these relations, and strengthen the bonds of mutual cooperation, in a manner that serves the interests of our two friendly countries and peoples.
King Salman expressed his pride in the excellence of the Kingdom’s youth in the field of education and their commitment to expanding their knowledge, urging them to represent the Kingdom in the best possible light during their stay in the United States, with which the Kingdom shares a long-standing and evolving friendship.
Accompanying the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and the official delegation were His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Deputy Crown Prince, Second Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Defense; His Excellency Dr. Musaed bin Mohammed Al-Aiban, Minister of State and Member of the Council of Ministers; His Excellency the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ibrahim bin Abdulaziz Al-Assaf; His Excellency the Minister of Commerce and Industry, Dr. Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah; His Excellency the Minister of Culture and Information, Dr. Adel bin Zaid Al-Turaifi; His Excellency the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir; His Excellency the Minister of Health, Engineer Khalid bin Abdulaziz Al-Falih; and His Excellency the Director General of General Intelligence, Mr. Khalid bin Ali Al-Humaidan.
