For over seventy years, the United States and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have enjoyed a strong relationship based upon mutual respect and common interests. The U.S. Legation opened in Jeddah in 1942. Full diplomatic relations commenced in 1940 and the U.S. Mission, located in a traditional house in the old city center, was upgraded to the status of an Embassy in 1949. The Embassy moved in 1952 to the current Consulate General location, which at the time was an isolated, beach-front property to the north of the city limits. Along with all other foreign missions, the Embassy was transferred to Riyadh in 1984. The former Embassy compound in Jeddah is now a Consulate General in the heart of one of the Middle East’s most dynamic cities.

The United States and Saudi Arabia share a common concern for regional security, oil exports and imports, and sustainable development. Close consultations between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia have developed on international, economic, and development issues such as the Middle East peace process and shared interests in the Gulf. The U.S. is Saudi Arabia’s largest trading partner, and Saudi Arabia is the largest U.S. export market in the Middle East.

The United States and Saudi Arabia have a history of technical and educational exchange which has benefited both nations, and the longstanding security relationship continues to be important. As the twenty-first century dawns, the vibrancy of the U.S.-Saudi relationship, based on multifaceted interests in the political, economic, business and humanitarian fields, remains secure.