Riyadh should give up its illusions and adopt a more realistic approach toward US-Saudi relations, American scholars Perry Cammack and Richard Sok?lsky note, stressing that the partnership between the two states "is experiencing deep structural changes."

The US-Saudi partnership is undergoing deep structural changes, according to�Perry Cammack and Richard Sokolsky of�the Carnegie Endowment for�International Peace.

"Shifting US regional and global priorities, fundamental changes in�the global energy market, and America's response to�the convulsions sweeping the Middle East since�2011 have engendered mutual mistrust and exposed deep fault lines," the US scholars write in�their analysis for�The National Interest.

Cammack and Sokolsky refer to�Barack Obama's concerns, voiced by�the US President in�his interview with�Jeffrey Goldberg of�the Atlantic. Obama called the Saudi regime "free riders" who could drag the United States into�trouble in�the region.

Obama's remark has prompted resentment in�Riyadh.

"No, Mr. Obama. We are not 'free riders'," Saudi Prince Turki al-Faisal wrote in his open letter to�Obama published in�the Arab News.

"You accuse us of�fomenting sectarian strife in�Syria, Yemen and Iraq. You add insult to�injury by�telling us to�share our world with�Iran, a country that you describe as�a supporter of�terrorism and which you promised our king to�counter its 'destabilizing activities'," the Saudi Prince noted.

Whether Riyadh likes it or not, it is time for�Saudi Arabia and Iran to�learn to "share the neighborhood" in�the Middle East, the US President believes.

It is becoming clear that King Salman's assertive military doctrine does not add to�stability in�the region.

Though Washington supported Riyadh's war in�Yemen "to reassure the Saudis that the United States was a reliable partner," Saudi Arabia's military actions look "impulsive and ill conceived" in�the eyes of�the Obama administration, according to�the US scholars.

Saudi Arabia's overreliance upon�American protection has played a nasty trick on�Riyadh.

At the same time, Washington has become less dependent on�the Gulf oil. Furthermore, the US has emerged as�Saudi Arabia's competitor in�the oil market. The House of�Saud does not conceal its discontent with�the White House and is even taking steps to bolster its relations with�Moscow and Beijing.

And here is the rub: both Russia and China maintain a friendly relationship with�Tehran, Riyadh's longstanding geopolitical rival.

What is the way out�for Saudi Arabia?

According to�the US scholars, Riyadh and Washington should adopt "the new normal approach."

"The new normal will be a more diffident US-Saudi relationship. Both sides will harbor lower expectations of�each other and continue to�disagree, sometimes sharply, over�important regional security issues, but�will seek accommodations when their interests overlap," Cammack and Sokolsky explain.

"They will have a more realistic and sustainable relationship that, shorn of�its illusions and misperceptions, could produce fewer disappointments and even allow ad hoc cooperation," the scholars stress.

The two allies still have a lot of�shared interests in�the region and they really need to�begin "a candid, frank and constructive dialogue" over�their expectations and simmering controversies.

"Next week's US-PGCC summit in�Riyadh is the last opportunity for�the Obama administration to�recalibrate the US-Saudi relationship," the American scholars underscore.
By Sputnik News