The U.S and the Saudis have had good Relations in the past, despite the fact that Saudi Arabia is an Islamic monarchy with poor human rights records while the United States is a secular republic full of democracy. The interests of the U.S in Saudi are specifically oil. Cheap constant supply of oil stabilizes the U.S economy. Both countries were against the Soviet invasion in Afghanistan back in 1991 and are strongly opposed to communism in the Middle East region. A BBC research in 2005 found out that 40% of Saudis had hostile feelings against the relations between the two countries while 38% viewed the relations between both countries as positive.
A 2013 research poll found out that 57% of Americans had a hostile feeling about the ties between the two nations while 27% approved the relations.
U.S - Saudi relations
The United States first recognized Saudi Arabia as an independent state after it gained its independence from Britain in May 1927. In 1931, Standard Oil of California set up its first exploration in Saudi's Eastern Province of al-Hasa. Oil was not very important to the United States at that time. The United States had its first ambassador in that country in 1943, before, relations between the two nations were handled from Egypt. The Saudis sought protection from the United States after its oil production facilities were destroyed during World War II.
In 1951, the U.S signed a mutual defense agreement with Saudi Arabia and provided training and technical support to the Saudi Armed forces. After the oil crisis in the mid-70s, the two countries also signed a $2 billion military contract, in exchange, Saudi Arabia would keep oil prices lower than OPEC counterparts. During the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq in early 1990, the U.S sent troops to Saudi Arabia in the operation desert storm.
During that time, Iraq had accused Kuwait of stealing its oil by drilling their oil wells vertically. U.S forces were sent to Saudi to protect the country from possible invasion from Iraq.
Conflicts between the two countries
Saudi Arabia is always in favor of a Palestinian state, while the U.S supports Israel. 15 out of the 19 September 11 terrorists originated from Saudi Arabia.
In the year 2010, Wikileaks released information from the United States Department that showed that majority of funds given to the Sunni terrorist group originated from Saudi donors. Congress passed a motion to sue the Saudi Arabian government to compensate victims of the attack, Obama vetoed the lawsuit.
Why are we selling weapons to the people who arm and fund terrorists? Also, wasn't it 19 #Saudi hijackers that blew up our towers?
— Angelo John Gage (@AngeloJohnGage) May 20, 2017
Despite past conflicts between the two countries, the Obama administration sold $110 billion weapons to Saudi Arabia, while Donald Trump has recently signed a deal to sell arms to the country in the same amount as the Obama's administration for a ten year period.