Relationship dossier
Saudi Arabia
United States
Relationship assessment
A durable strategic partnership marked by security cooperation and recurring disputes over human rights, Yemen, and oil policy.
Saudi Arabia toward United States
+30The Saudi government has cooperated with the United States on counterterrorism and regional security, including participation in the coalition against ISIS. Saudi Arabia has also maintained extensive arms and security cooperation with Washington. Disputes over oil-production policy and the killing of Jamal Khashoggi have strained the partnership.
United States toward Saudi Arabia
+35The United States has supported Saudi security through arms sales and defense cooperation, and has worked with the Saudi government on counterterrorism and regional security. US policy has also included criticism of Saudi human-rights practices and limits on support for Saudi military operations in Yemen, contributing to recurring strains.
Overall relationship
+30The relationship is a durable strategic partnership centered on security cooperation, arms, and shared regional concerns, alongside persistent disagreements over human rights, Yemen, and oil policy. Cooperation has continued through periods of tension, but the disputes limit the depth and consistency of alignment.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Saudi Arabia and the United States maintain a substantial security and economic partnership, including arms cooperation and collaboration against terrorism. Their governments have also clashed over human rights, the war in Yemen, and oil-production policy. The relationship has endured these disputes, but cooperation is largely strategic and has not eliminated recurring tensions.
Areas of tension
- US criticism of Saudi human-rights practices and the killing of Jamal Khashoggi
- US support for restricting assistance to Saudi military operations in Yemen
- Disagreements over Saudi oil-production decisions and their effects on global energy policy
Key developments
Saudi Arabia and the United States expanded security cooperation during the 1990–91 Gulf crisis and war.
The United States ended support for offensive operations in Yemen, a policy shift affecting its military relationship with Saudi Arabia.
President Joe Biden visited Saudi Arabia amid efforts to sustain security and energy cooperation despite bilateral tensions.
Major uncertainties
- The extent and terms of current security commitments and arms cooperation are unclear.
- The durability of cooperation on regional security and oil policy varies with changing government priorities.