Saudi and US re-create historic meeting between Roosevelt and King Abdulaziz

The officials met on board the USS Quincy 75 years ago

Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Bahrain Prince Sultan bin Ahmed bin Abdul Aziz and Halle Delano, grandson of former US President, Franklin D Roosevelt, during a commemoration service for US-Saudi relations. 

Aboard the USS Quincy in 1945, King Abdul Aziz Ibn Saud of Saudi Arabia with US President Franklin D Roosevelt. National Archives /Interim Archives/ Getty Images

A historic meeting between former US President Franklin D Roosevelt and Saudi Arabia’s King Abdulaziz that took place 75 years ago was re-created this week on a US military ship.

On February 14, 1945, US President Franklin Delano Roosevelt met Saudi King Abdulaziz Al Saud on board the USS Quincy.

The grandsons of the two officials, Hall Delano Roosevelt and Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Bahrain Prince Sultan bin Ahmed bin Abdul Aziz, attended the ceremony.

“The US coast guard navigation centre and the US consulate in Jeddah commemorated the 75th anniversary of the historic meeting between President FDR and King Abdulaziz aboard the USS Quincy, followed by a 2020 National Day event on the pier. Such a cool, historic event,” the consulate said on Twitter.

The meeting that took place at the end of the Second World War marked a new chapter in relations between the two countries.

It was the first and only meeting between the officials that set in motion the strong ties between the two nations.

In the picture, Prince Sultan and Mr Roosevelt appeared to be smiling and listening to an US military official who is kneeling down.

It resembled the photograph taken 75 years ago.

US ambassador to the Kingdom, John Abi Zaid, stressed the historical and strategic ties that unite the two countries during a speech.

“The strategic relationship between the two was carved out after the meeting between the two,” Mr Abi Zaid said.