President George W. Bush is due to meet Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah at his Texas ranch on Monday.
Abdullah and other Saudi officials met with Vice President Dick Cheney in Dallas on the eve of the meeting with Bush, which was expected to produce statements about cooperation between the two countries and praise Saudi's efforts to fight terrorism. It is also thought that help will be sought in countering the economic threat posed by record oil prices.
Bush is expected to press for more oil production from Saudi Arabia, the biggest producer within the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries.
Saudi Arabia's image in America was tarnished by the fact that 15 of the 19 hijackers in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks were Saudi citizens and members of the Al Qaida network led by Osama Bin Laden who was born in Saudi Arabia. The kingdom has disavowed Bin Laden.
"We need the Saudis and they need us, despite the poor image of the United States in Saudi Arabia and their poor image here," said David Mack, vice president at the Middle East Institute.
The White House is facing growing consumer dissatisfaction over rising oil prices, with retail gasoline hitting a record nationwide average of $2.28 a gallon this month.
