The very essence of leadership is vision – combined with the capacity to transmit that vision to others. Recently crowned King Abdallah bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud plans to keep the kingdom moving with the times and developing economically. He also believes that his country must be part of the global struggle against terrorism. For the realization of both these visions, he looks to the U.S. as a key partner.

Diplomatic relations between the two countries were first established in November 1933, and despite media antagonism in the wake of the 2001 terrorist attacks, have been maintained ever since. The U.S. and Saudi Arabia are aware that it is of the utmost importance that they keep working together, particularly in the joint fight against terrorism and in the quest for a peaceful resolution to the Israel-Palestine conflict.

In April this year, King Abdallah traveled to the U.S. and held a meeting with George W. Bush. The President highlighted the importance of their nations’ partnership. “It is important to the cause of peace and stability in the Middle East and the world,” he said. At a U.S.-Saudi Arabian Business Council reception held during the same visit, King Abdallah said: “The strong political ties which bind the United States and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia must be accompanied by strong economic ties between the two countries.”

Commercial ties are strongly related to oil: Saudi Arabia needs to sell and the U.S. needs to buy. But Saudi Arabia also imported more than $5 billion worth of goods from America last year alone. Western know-how and technology is sought after for many areas in the non-oil sector, which has been growing steadily over the past years and now represents around 60% of total GDP. The King has pointed out that ongoing, long-term reforms such as a new tax law and the organization of the capital markets will continue to make Saudi Arabia an attractive choice for business investment.

Helping to strengthen these ties and encourage investment is the U.S. Commercial Service in Saudi Arabia, under the direction of the U.S. Department of Commerce. The organization works with American firms entering the Saudi market and also supports Saudi business relations with the United States.

In a joint statement issued after their meeting, the President and the former Crown Prince emphasized the need for “a foundation of broad cooperation”. As a consequence, a committee has been established to deal with ‘strategic issues of vital importance’ for the countries. Headed by the Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Saud Al-Faisal bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud and former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, it is geared at cementing the long-standing, productive relations between both nations.