DUBAI: The United States and Saudi Arabia have a “multiplicity of interests” in common, including regional security and the safety of American expats in the kingdom, State Department Spokesman Vedant Patel said during a press briefing on Friday.
“We continue to have a multiplicity of interests as it relates to our bilateral relationship with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. And of course, a big piece of that is a security relationship – one that is important towards regional stability,” the spokesman said.
Washington has broader national security interests that must be maintained, he added.
The US also has more than 70,000 American citizens living in the Kingdom, he said, adding that their safety is also an important factor in the bilateral ties it shares with Riyadh.
