Login

About Asian Telegraph Qatar

Asian Telegraph Qatar, led by veteran journalist Ashraf Siddiqui, is a trusted news platform focused on Qatar’s contributions to global peace, economic growth, education, and youth development. 

Featuring insights from international journalists, it covers local and global events in business, culture, sports, and more, offering readers balanced perspectives on both Qatar and world affairs.

Contact Details

  • PO Box: 20927, Doha City Qatar
  • Tel: +974 33279600
  • Fax: +974 44372909
  • info@asiantelegraphqatar.com
  • www.asiantelegraphqatar.com

Saudi Crown Prince Says 'Won’t Pay US for Own Security'

By
M Ashraf Siddiqui
06/10/2018
in

Riyadh                                                                                                                                                                                                    06 Oct 2018                                                                                                                                                                                         (Anadolu News-Bloomberg)

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said his country will not pay Washington for its own security, saying his oil-rich kingdom was created even before the U.S. itself.

“Saudi Arabia was there before the United States of America. It’s there since 1744, I believe more than 30 years before the United States of America,” bin Salman told Bloomberg in an exclusive interview late Friday.

Last week, U.S. President Donald Trump said the Saudi King would not last for two weeks in power without U.S. military support.

But bin Salman downplayed Trump’s remarks, saying “you have to accept that any friend will say good things and bad things”.

“So you cannot have 100 percent friends saying good things about you, even in your family. You will have some misunderstandings. So we put that in that category,” he said.

The Crown Prince said Riyadh has paid for all weapons bought from the U.S.

“We will pay nothing for our security. We believe that all the armaments we have from the United States of America are paid for, it’s not free armament,” he said.

“Ever since the relationship started between Saudi Arabia and the United States of America, we’ve bought everything with money.”

He stressed that Saudi-U.S. relations were good, saying “If you look at the picture overall, you have 99 percent of good things and one bad issue."

Turning to the four-year conflict in Yemen, bin Salman voiced hope to reach a solution to the crisis in the neighboring Arab country.

“We hope it will end as soon as possible. We don’t need that on our border,” he said.

“We don’t need to have a new Hezbollah in the Arabian Peninsula. This is a red line not only for Saudi Arabia but for the whole world. No one wants to have Hezbollah in a strait through which about 15 percent of the world trade goes through. We will continue to pressure them.

“We hope they’ll get ready as soon as possible to have negotiations and to have a deal,” bin Salman said.

In 2015, Saudi Arabia and several Arab allies launched a massive air campaign against Shia Houthi rebels, who have overrun much of Yemen, including capital Sanaa, a year earlier.

The ongoing violence has devastated Yemen’s basic infrastructure, prompting the UN to describe the situation as “one of the worst humanitarian disasters of modern times”.

Disclaimer: Asian Telegraph Qatar do not accept any responsibility for any comment posted on our website. Any comment does not necessarily represent the views of the Asian Telegraph Qatar, unless where specifically stated otherwise. We reserve the right to unpublish, or delete parts or the entirety of any comments that deemed to be non-conducive to the discussion.

© 2025 Asian Telegraph. All Rights Reserved
Powered by PWS
envelopeearthmenu linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram