The U.S. and Saudi Arabia are looking beyond last year¡¯s oil spat to focus on billions of dollars-worth of defense and aviation deals and other areas of diplomacy to repair a previously strong alliance.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken¡¯s visit to Saudi Arabia this week is the latest sign of improving relations, with collaboration also under way on Sudan, Ukraine and space. The U.S. will add a senior diplomatic role to help boost integration in the Middle East, Blinken said Monday.
U.S. President Joe Biden¡¯s administration has expressed eagerness to repair ties with Riyadh, once one of Washington¡¯s closest allies in the Middle East. That marks a change from the rancor in October, when the OPEC+ cartel of oil producers ¡ª led by the Saudis and Russia ¡ª decided to cut output, triggering higher prices a month before U.S. mid-terms in which inflation was a key issue.
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