The American state of Virginia on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, also nicknamed the "mother of American Presidents," has become filled with Saudi visitors. The Tysons Corner area in particular seems to be favored by many Arabs who have come to live there, acquired real property and made investments. During the last few years, Virginia was also transformed into a new scientific citadel for Saudi students sent to learn abroad, has become inhabited by Saudi residents and tourists, and has come to host the Saudi Academy headquarters. In restaurants and coffee shops, one can see many Saudi faces, while in the markets the complexion of the "shoppers" among them is prevalent. In known areas, you can see their faces and learn their origins from their accents. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz, came to Washington to meet with American President Barack Obama at the White House, on an official visit which carried a friendly character and aimed at discussing "thorny" regional issues after both men had attended the G20 summit. There were no major strategic disputes between the two countries as it was the case following the September 11, 2001 events when 15 Saudi young men turned out to be among those who participated in the terrorist attacks on Washington and New York. Moreover, there were no great gaps requiring filling or accusations requiring corrections as it was also the case in the past. There was a Saudi wish to concentrate on several key points, namely regional security, the "obstructed" peace process and the "exceptional" relations between the two countries. On the other hand, and according to American politicians, President Obama and his government wanted to listen to the proposals of King Abdullah, consult him and learn about his vision vis-à-vis the issues of the region in a direct way. An American official thus stated to Al-Hayat that the meeting was comprehensive, that it focused on the strong ties between Riyadh and Washington and that the American side listened to the Saudi guest's "transparent viewpoint" in regard to the overall developments in the region. This was conveyed by an American writer who said in the Congress-affiliated The Hill newspaper that Obama should be wise and adopt and promote the visions of this "experienced" king. For his part, King Abdullah heard American praise toward his political vision, his support of peace, his dialogue initiative between the followers of the different religions and cultures, his reformatory steps in his country, his positive focus on culture, education and the expansion of women's participation. Many wrote about the visit of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to the White House to meet with President Obama and his government leaders before and after this visit was conducted. Some talked about Saudi pressures exerted on the Americans to hasten the peace process and avoid seeing the withdrawal of the peace initiative, while completely disregarding the fact that it exposed the Israeli intentions. Others believed that the Iranian nuclear file was among the most important files tackled during the meeting between the two leaders, while others placed the situations in Afghanistan and Yemen and the necessity to end the problems facing them at the top of the list of priorities. There is no doubt that the issue of peace and the main regional dossiers were tackled and discussed by the two leaders. However, the meeting also focused on the enhancement of Saudi-American ties, especially since this was King Abdullah's first visit to Washington after Obama assumed his post. The Saudis and the Americans are aware of the importance of the enhancement of the relations and ties after some tried to open the windows of accusations and the doors of speculations, and attempted to undermine these relations to benefit from the two countries' fighting following the September 11 events. However, Washington and Riyadh exited the repercussions of this crisis stronger and more in touch with their common need to work together to fight terrorism, eliminate its sources of funding and prevent violence and extremism. In addition, there is a more important connection for the Saudis as well as the Americans, related to the continuation of the enhancement of cooperation based on joint interests, especially since Riyadh is implementing a balanced oil policy that is contributing to the preservation of stability on the global oil markets and is adopting practical policies and programs to fight poverty, by offering massive aid to poor countries. There is no doubt that Saudi Arabia is upset about America's failure to pressure Israel in a sufficient way over the peace process, a thing which Washington justified by the existence of difficulties on several tracks, although it promised Riyadh it will continue insisting on the two-state solution and comprehensive peace. On the other hand, while Saudi Arabia is trying to distance itself from the Iranian issue, it is definitely in favor of the Security Council resolutions and the decisions of the International Atomic Energy Agency which asked Tehran to respect its commitments and not to ignore the rational calls for it to relinquish its rhetoric which is not doing the Iranian people any good. What is certain is that the current stage is witnessing warmth between Riyadh and Washington. However, the developing events and the "heated" files in the Middle East region may carry divergences between the two countries in the coming days. So, will the relationship stand fast in the face of any disputes which might surface or will it witness new tensions? This may be defined by the extent of the seriousness of the American solutions for the issues of the region and its "blazing" files, especially since the latter region - and for long decades - has become accustomed to conflicts and struggles. That would require the Americans to listen to the voice of reason and moderation, far from the slogans or the media "propaganda."
