RIYADH, 24 March 2004 — A group of Saudi businessmen have told members of an American think tank that Saudi-US relations cannot be viewed in isolation. They exist as part of a total Middle Eastern picture that encompasses bombings in Madrid, continued violence in Iraq and the Israeli assassination of Hamas spiritual leader, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin.

The message was delivered to a four-member delegation from the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington which held talks here with a group of prominent Saudi businessmen on improving bilateral relations.

The delegation, led by Jon Alterman, included Edward M. Gabriel, Robert M. Holley and Dr. James Zogby. Saudi participants were Dr. Abdul Rahman Al-Zamil, Khaled Al-Saif, Omar Bahlaiwa, secretary-general of the Saudi Committee for the Development of International Trade, Osama Al-Kurdi, Imad Al-Hujailan and Faisal Al-Hujailan.

The US delegation’s visit to the Kingdom was part of a tour of the Middle East which took in six countries in addition to the Kingdom — Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Syria, Lebanon and the UAE. During their visit to Saudi Arabia, the delegation witnessed a Shoura Council meeting.

Speaking to Arab News, Bahlaiwa said the talks focused, on the impact of politics on bilateral trade and the oil market. He suggested that there should be a permanent Saudi-American dialogue center to promote interaction between the two countries. He said the members of the think tank were told that in the interest of harmonious relations, it was imperative that the US analyzed all barriers between the two countries. “They have got to understand why Madrid exploded and Iraq is burning” in order to gauge the mood and aspirations of people in the region.

This realization together with voluntary efforts launched by Americans who know the Kingdom well could go a long way in promoting better understanding between the two countries.

At a recent interview, Dr. Michael Crocker told Arab News that he had what may be the biggest website on Saudi Arabia. It contains photographs and information on the Kingdom and has registered more than 23,000 hits since its launch six weeks ago. Dr. Crocker added that, at his own expense, he had placed advertisements in 90 American newspapers on various aspects of Saudi-American relations.