wielding banner and a star-spangled one is a near century-long friendship based upon mutual benefit, understanding and trust. Through thick and thin, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United States of America have maintained an unbreakable bond which has promoted common interests of strategic and economic significance, uplifting the wellbeing and prosperity of each nation's respective peoples. Over a planned working-breakfast Saturday morning on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Japan, US President Donald Trump expressed his admiration and gratefulness to the man across the table, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman. The two exchanged messages of gratitude for the Saudi-US relationship, and vowed to continue working together in support of their countries' ambitions. Ever since Saudi Arabia's founder King Abdulaziz Al-Saud met with US President Franklin Roosevelt onboard USS Quincy at the Suez Canal in 1945, the two nations have been sailing upstream side-by-side; irrespective of occasional currents and turbulence, which do come with the territory of maintaining such a longstanding and constructive relationship. Serving as a bridge between East and West, the Saudi-US partnership has always been one of vital importance. For decades, mutual cooperation has led to bilateral success. A greater degree of productivity in areas of major substance, such as counterterrorism, military, and economy, is achievable due to the firm relationship the two sides enjoy. In relation to counterterrorism, it is no secret that the diplomatic, strategic and logistic cooperation between Saudi Arabia and the United States serve, in part, to promote tolerance and undermine fanaticism. Both unyielding in the war-on-terror, terrorism has no greater threat than the Saudi-US alliance. Both united in the fight against extremists, radicalism has no greater threat than the Saudi-US alliance. And both resolute in the battle against intruding parties, sponsorship-of-terror has no greater threat than the Saudi-US alliance. When it comes to the military, the long-lived Saudi-US partnership is a key enabler of international security and stability. Moreover, logistic-sharing provides both nations with critical information needed to keep harm's way at bay. As for the economy, the benefits are boundless. From ensuring stable energy markets to bilateral investments in areas of utmost significance, the Saudi-US relationship provides commercial growth, corporate activity and jobs, jobs, jobs. The Saudi-US partnership is one to embrace and flourish. It is not one to entangle and slow down. This historic relationship carries critical global responsibilities on its shoulders. With the leadership and direction of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman Bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia plans to maintain the strategic relationship as willingly as ever. And with increased bilateral cooperation and shared interests between the two countries, the relationship will only accelerate to greater heights. In addition, the well-respected and recently appointed ambassadors, Princess Reema Bint Bandar and General John Abizaid, will further harmonize the Riyadh-Washington connection for the betterment of Saudi-US relations moving forward; executing the visions laid out by each of their respective governments. Looking back at what we have achieved during our near century-long relationship, imagine what can be accomplished over the next century. And with a modernized Kingdom and Vision 2030 around the corner, the next era of Saudi-US relations will be one to behold. Waleed Shwaila is a Saudi opinion columnist specializing in international relations. He may be reached at: [email protected] / Twitter: @waleedalg
