This archive report was first published on 20 July 2019.
On July 20, 2019, Saudi Arabia made a significant decision to reverse its 2003 stance and host US troops once again. This move comes after a 16-year absence, with the last US presence in the country ending in 2003 following the end of the war with Iraq.
The US presence in Saudi Arabia initially began in 1991 with Operation Desert Storm, when Iraq invaded Kuwait. At the peak of the Iraq war, as many as 200 US aircraft were stationed at the Prince Sultan air base, situated around 80 kilometres south of the capital. The headquarters in Saudi Arabia handled as many as 2,700 missions a day.
However, relations between the two countries were not always easy during the 12 years of cooperation. Tensions increased particularly following the September 11, 2001 attacks in New York, which were orchestrated by Saudi-born al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.
