U.S.-Saudi Relations in the Trump 2.0 Era from the perspective of Structural Power

Abstract

In the Trump 2.0 era, U.S.-Saudi relations have exhibited new features that transcend the traditional “security-oil-dollar” interaction structure. While downplaying ideological divergences, both sides have prioritized economic and technological cooperation. Through the reconfiguration of the “security-oil-dollar-investment” nexus and the deep embedding of production and knowledge structures, bilateral cooperation has been further intensified. Global structural shifts—exemplified by the energy transition and great-power technological rivalry—have provided external drivers for this restructuring. Driven simultaneously by domestic political-economic imperatives and the logic of hegemonic preservation, the United States has sought to reinforce its gravitational pull over Saudi Arabia through parallel “security empowerment” and “development empowerment”. In turn, under the deep coupling of regime security and developmental security, Saudi Arabia has treated cooperation with the United States as a pivotal lever for advancing Vision 2030 and national transformation, seeking greater developmental space and strategic autonomy through increased empowerment. The deepening of U.S.-Saudi relations not only intensifies bilateral interest interdependence but also generates profound implications for the regional power configuration in the Middle East and the trajectory of global great-power competition. Nevertheless, the bilateral relations remain constrained by multiple challenges, including U.S. policy uncertainty, persistent regional conflicts, structural contradictions in bilateral demands, and the inherent paradox between “empowerment” and “dependence”. The future trajectory thus remains marked by pervasive uncertainty.