A statement released by the US government on Monday announced that aid would be provided to Saudi Arabia since it had cooperated with US authorities on its "war on terror."
The memorandum stated that "Saudi Arabia is cooperating with efforts to combat international terrorism and that the proposed assistance will help facilitate that effort."
Had Saudi Arabia not cooperated on the matter, according to the AFP, US aid would not have been released for fear that it might have been funneled eventually to organizations considered terrorist groups by the US, a 2005 US pending bill stipulates.
The announcement comes as White House aid Karen Hughes, responsible for improving the US's image in the eyes of the Arab world, heads to the Saudi kingdom to meet with Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah.
Hughes, however, criticized Saudi Arabia's human rights record on Tuesday, saying, "They've got a long journey there and a lot of work to do."
Prince Saud Al Faisal, Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister, blamed the US for deepening sectarian divisions in the kingdom and for contributing to its disintegration and threatening its Arab identity.
