Refashioning a Saudi-US partnership fit for the future

Network of interests

Discussions focused on the details—such as weapons systems, elevating defence relations, and deepening cooperation—but at the heart of this dialogue, the emerging new element was a network of interests. In this way, Saudi Arabia has deployed its economic tools with notable skill. Riyadh's $1tn investment in strategic American sectors and politically sensitive districts builds the architecture of influence, which translates into shared interests.

Economically and technologically, Saudi Arabia wants to be at the centre of the latest industrial revolution, which incorporates artificial intelligence (AI), the data centre infrastructure, and the critical minerals needed for things like electric vehicles. With its new alliances with major tech companies, the country solidifies its transition away from oil to the tools of the future, from energy pipelines to algorithmic code. Nvidia's Jensen Huang described the Saudis as moving from an oil refinery to an AI refinery.

Beyond technology, discussions also covered the Middle East. Trump would like Riyadh to normalise relations with Israel, but the Saudi position remains unequivocal: any path towards normalisation, or accession to the Abraham Accords, requires tangible progress towards a Palestinian state. This is not a tactical position nor a negotiating card, but part of Saudi Arabia's understanding of its importance for future regional stability. Belatedly, this is now understood in Washington.

Meanwhile, Sudan and its brutal three-year civil war also emerged as the unexpected focus of the November visit. Riyadh presented Trump with a vision for halting the war, drawing on experience accumulated over the past decade. Within minutes, Trump's team had set up a multilateral meeting. This reflected Trump's confidence in the Saudi role, with Riyadh having had similar influence over an emerging Syria. The crown prince is now a political point of reference, rather than simply an important player.

Building sturdy foundations

Between security, the economy, and regional dynamics, the essence of the visit became clear: Saudi Arabia seeks a relationship grounded in institutions, governed through interests, and resilient enough to outlast the inevitable White House changing of the guard. Trump, by contrast, seeks a historic achievement and an extended partnership. In the convergence of these aspirations, a new formula for the alliance took shape.

The immediate outcomes are significant, yet the broader trajectory matters more. Saudi-US relations are shifting from their traditional structure towards a broader, more complex framework, one more closely tied to technology, energy, and supply chains. For the Middle East, Saudi Arabia wants stability, and from Washington, Saudi Arabia wants a legally-binding defence treaty. This is not the culmination of a path, but an acceleration of it.

The defence treaty awaits the scrutiny of the US Senate. The path towards regional peace hinges on progress towards a Palestinian state that is yet to gain any momentum. The alliance established aboard the USS Quincy between King Abdulaziz and President Franklin Roosevelt in 1945 is being reconstructed to align with the conditions and imperatives of the 21st century. Saudi Arabia is moving into the future with greater confidence, greater influence, and greater capacity to shape the structure of its partnership with the United States, rather than simply adapting to it.