DUBAI: Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman delivered his first address in the United States on Thursday at the inaugural KSA – USA Partnership event dinner in Washington.
Hosted by the Saudi embassy, the dinner was a celebration of the Saudi-US bilateral security relationship over the past 70 years.
“Saudis and Americans have trained together and fought together to confront shared threats and to defend common interests,” the Crown Prince said.
“Our relationship with the United States is fundamental to security in the Middle East, and we are grateful for your support in building a better future together.”
The crown prince, who has been on a royal visit, met with US President Donald Trump on Tuesday at the White House where they hailed the historic link between the two nations as well as investment deals worth billions of dollars struck by the two nations as Saudi Arabia embarks on Saudi Vision 2030, a massive set of programs aimed at reforming the country.
“My own brother and our Ambassador to the United States experienced this first-hand as a pilot training with the US Air Force. He often reminds me that policy may be made in Riyadh and Washington, but it is in training and then in battle where trust is built, where friendships are formed, and where unbreakable ties are forged,” Prince Salman said.
Ambassador to the US, Prince Khalid bin Salman, commemorated the historic American and Saudi Arabian leaders of the past who further reinforced the foundations of the alliance between our two nations.
The Saudi envoy said the strong links between the Kingdom and the US were “a force of good, a force for peace, for stability, for international order, and economic prosperity.”
“Just as America is, and always will be, the land of the free and the home of the brave- the Kingdom has been the city upon a hill for the region; a leader in the Muslim and Arab world,” he said.
During his remarks, the crown prince gave detailed examples of the ways in which Vision 2030 is currently modernizing Saudi Arabia, and providing future opportunities for continued strategic collaboration between the two nations beyond defense cooperation.
High-level speakers, including Jeb Bush, Dick Cheney, Colin Powell and James Baker where also present at the event, as well as former Saudi ambassador to the US, Prince Bandar bin Sultan.
Former president George Bush and General Norman Schwarzkopf Jr. were honored with KSA-USA partnership awards for outstanding leadership, a recognition of their roles in building strategic partnerships during and after the Gulf War. Senator John McCain was also honored for his leadership and service.
Saudi crown prince: Relationship with US built on trust and strategic partnership
Saudi crown prince: Relationship with US built on trust and strategic partnership
