Saudi-U.S. Ties Shift as Kingdom Turns to Trump for Investments - Bloomberg

Saudi-U.S. Ties Shift as Kingdom Turns to Trump for Investments - Bloomberg:

"Just a few years back, the business relationship between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia was pretty simple: The Americans bought oil, and the Saudis spent much of what they earned on equipment to keep the crude flowing and on planes, tanks, and missiles to protect their borders. With crude prices down by half over the past three years, U.S. domestic oil production up dramatically, and the kingdom embarking on unprecedented economic reforms -- including the sale of a stake in its state-owned oil company -- the leverage is shifting toward the Americans as the U.S. emerges as a rival energy exporter. The changing relationship will come into sharp focus this weekend, as American corporate titans visit Riyadh for an investment summit scheduled to coincide with Donald Trump’s first foreign trip as U.S. president. “At this point, the Saudis need the U.S. more than the reverse,” said Philippe Dauba-Pantanacce, global geopolitical strategist at Standard Chartered Plc in the U.K. “They need foreign direct investment to transform the economy, and the U.S. doesn’t need oil anymore.”"



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