By Khaled Al-Suleiman
Okaz
As a Saudi citizen expressing his personal views, I am waiting for the Saudi-US summit to rectify the American stance to best serve Saudi Arabia’s regional interests.
No doubt the Kingdom has suffered a lot from the fluctuations of the policies of the former US administration under President Obama.
I felt, as a Saudi citizen, that Obama’s reign was a disappointment in the a long history of Saudi-US alliance.
During Obama’s administration, the Kingdom felt that it had been betrayed by its American ally and was stabbed in its back.
Allowing Iran to disturb the security of the region and watching its expansionist designs proved to be the straw that broke the Kingdom’s trust in its traditional ally.
This situation prompted the Kingdom to review its international policies and alliances. We saw the Kingdom redirect its interests toward the east and to extend bridges with China.
The Kingdom closely watched the results of the US presidential elections.
The task of the new US administration was to restore the confidence of its traditional Arab ally.
President Trump made Saudi Arabia the first stop on his foreign visit after assuming power in January 2017 is a clear message that puts the strategic relationship between the two countries on the right track.
While focusing on its own interests, Saudi Arabia is waiting for deeds not words to reinforce this strategic relationship.
