https://arab.news/r7h6b
As predicted in this column previously, the recently concluded visit of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to Washington not only reset the tone of the Saudi-US relationship, but also redefined it. Exactly 80 years after the historic meeting between President Franklin D. Roosevelt and King Abdulaziz aboard the USS Quincy, the two nations have once again charted a bold new course for the future.
What unfolded in the US capital was more than just a diplomatic spectacle, though the F-35 flyover greeting the crown prince certainly made for a powerful image. It was the formal launch of a new era, one built on mutual respect, shared interests, and a clear-eyed understanding of the region’s evolving dynamics.
At the heart of this transformation lies a realization — one that came early to President Donald Trump and somewhat belatedly to his predecessor Joe Biden — that with Saudi Arabia’s help, the Middle East may no longer be a region defined solely by conflict but, instead, one of opportunity, innovation, and ambition. And the engine driving this change is none other than the man Trump described repeatedly as “a great friend” and “the future king of Saudi Arabia.”
