https://arab.news/6z65g
It may be a coincidence, but history rarely writes itself without purpose. Next week’s meeting in Washington between Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman and US President Donald J. Trump falls 80 years after the seminal 1945 encounter between King Abdulaziz and President Franklin D. Roosevelt aboard the USS Quincy. That meeting laid the foundation for a strategic partnership that has endured wars, oil shocks and political transitions.
The parallels between then and now are striking — and significant.
In 1945, the world was emerging from the ashes of the Second World War. The US was poised to become a global superpower. Saudi Arabia, under King Abdulaziz, had just unified its territories and was beginning to build its modern state. The USS Quincy summit focused mainly on two pillars: security for the Kingdom and oil for America. The summit came just over a decade after the birth of Saudi Aramco — a joint venture that evolved into the world’s largest oil company. Though now fully Saudi-owned, the American contribution to its success remains undeniable.
Today, we stand on the cusp of a new chapter — one that could multiply the Aramco success story exponentially.
