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RL33533 — Saudi Arabia: Background and U.S. Relations

Reports · published 2023-10-02 · v88 · Archived · crsreports.congress.gov ↗

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Authors
Christopher M. Blanchard
Report id
RL33533
Summary

The kingdom of Saudi Arabia, ruled by the Al Saud family since its founding in 1932, wields global influence through its administration of the birthplace of the Islamic faith and by virtue of its large oil reserves (17.2% of global total) and its role as a major oil exporter. Since acceding to the throne in 2015, King Salman bin Abd al Aziz (age 87) has empowered his son, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (age 38), as heir apparent, Prime Minister, and the central figure in Saudi policymaking. Under the leadership of the Crown Prince, the kingdom has pursued dynamic domestic and foreign policies while taking steps to reassert and confront challenges to rulers’ authority. Saudi leaders’ top priority at home appears to remain their Vision 2030 initiative, through which the kingdom is attempting to transform its economy, public finances, and social contract. Abroad, Saudi officials conduct a multidirectional foreign policy that embraces parallel partnerships with the United States and U.S. strategic competitors, such as Russia and China. Saudi policy toward the Middle East region currently appears to prioritize détente; in March 2023, the kingdom reestablished diplomatic relations with Iran in an agreement facilitated in part by China. Lower regional tensions may contribute to Saudi government efforts to market the kingdom as an attractive hub for investment, commerce, and tourism—all central to the Vision 2030 initiative. Continued Saudi cooperation with Russia on oil output decisions bolsters revenue for both countries. While directing the implementation of far-reaching economic and social changes, the Crown Prince has centralized control over security forces, sidelined potential political rivals (including some royal family members and religious conservatives), and cracked down on public dissent. The state has recognized some women’s rights and now actively promotes women’s participation in the economy. Many young Saudis have embraced these changes, but citizens’ views vary. Strict controls on public expression, arrests of activists and potential critics, and reported Saudi state involvement in transnational repression limit foreign observers’ ability to understand Saudi social, economic, and political dynamics. The Saudi government rejects international scrutiny and criticism of its human rights practices as interference in Saudi domestic affairs. During the Biden Administration, the U.S.-Saudi relationship at times has appeared strained, but public comments in 2022 and 2023 from both countries have highlighted ongoing cooperation and new collaborative opportunities. During a June 2023 visit to Saudi Arabia, Secretary of State Antony Blinken noted ongoing U.S.-Saudi counterterrorism and regional security cooperation and promoted emergent U.S.-Saudi collaboration on global infrastructure financing, digital communications technology development, and clean energy adoption initiatives. The Biden Administration supports the kingdom’s economic and social reform initiatives, praises Saudi efforts to deescalate regional conflicts, and describes potential Saudi diplomatic normalization with Israel as “a declared national security interest of the United States.” Various sources suggest that Saudi Arabia may condition future normalization-related choices on Israel’s approach to the Palestinians, U.S. security commitments, and/or changes to U.S. policy on the kingdom’s nuclear energy program. Press reports citing unnamed U.S. officials suggest that as part of its push for Saudi-Israel normalization, the Biden Administration has discussed a possible mutual defense agreement with Saudi Arabia. A defense treaty would require the advice and consent of the Senate. As of June 2023, nearly 2,700 U.S. military personnel were deployed in the kingdom “to protect U.S. forces and interests in the region against hostile action by Iran and Iran-backed groups.” These forces are in addition to hundreds of U.S. personnel supporting long-running U.S.-Saudi security cooperation programs for military and internal security forces. Officials also renewed a bilateral agreement for internal security force training in 2023. In the 118th Congress, the Senate version of a Fiscal Year 2024 (FY2024) National Defense Authorization Act (S. 2226) would identify Saudi Arabia as a “major security partner” and make Saudi foreign military sale purchase orders eligible for priority production and delivery consideration. The House-passed and Senate committee versions of FY2024 foreign assistance appropriations bills (H.R. 4665, S. 2438) would place nonproliferation related conditions on the use of certain funds to support possible U.S. nuclear exports to Saudi Arabia. S.Res. 109 would direct the Department of State to report in detail on Saudi human rights practices.

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