Cairo: Saudi Arabia and the US share a long-standing partnership stretching over eight decades, according to a US diplomat.
“Since then, our bilateral cooperation has tremendous benefits not only to our countries, but to the world,” Saudi Ambassador to the US Princess Reema Bandr said.
“We worked together to stabilise the global energy market. We worked together as geopolitical partners confronting common foes, defeating communism and ending Saddam Hussein’s occupation of Kuwait,” the ambassador told the Arab –US Policymakers Conference.
Saudi King Salman Bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammed have congratulated the US Democrat Joe Biden over his win in the recent presidential election over Donald Trump, a close ally of Riyadh.
“Our relations are far deeper than just one Saudi leader or one US President,” Princess Reema said.
She added that Saudi Arabia is the US’s “strongest and most reliable partner” against extremism.
The diplomat has highlighted drastic social and economic changes that the kingdom is experiencing and cited empowerment of women in the country.
In 2018, the kingdom allowed women to drive for the first time in its history, ending a decades-old ban on female driving, a step that came to the dislike of conservatives in the country.
Saudi authorities have allowed women to travel without a male guard’s approval and to apply for a passport, easing long-time controls on them.
