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When Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman arrives in the US this week, the two countries are expected to discuss a range of topics — from artificial intelligence and civilian nuclear power to trade and defense. This meeting will, in all likelihood, open a new and even more productive chapter in 90 years of close US-Saudi cooperation.

However, another story has been quietly unfolding in the background for almost as long — one that will not capture as many headlines, yet is no less consequential to the future of ��������: the deepening of private sector partnerships that have been driving economic transformation across the region for decades.

Bechtel, America’s largest engineering and construction firm, has maintained a partnership with the Kingdom that began in the mid-1940s when my great-grandfather, Steve Bechtel, met King Faisal, who was a prince at the time and had been appointed foreign minister by his father, King Abdulaziz. Instantly, my great-grandfather was drawn to King Abdulaziz’s vision to turn his country into a prosperous industrial hub.

What began as a single conversation turned into an 80-year collaboration spanning 300 projects that helped to build modern �������� — from refineries and pipelines to state-of-the-art airports, rail systems, and even the industrial city of Jubail. Our partnership has lasted through technological change, global upheaval, and 14 US presidents. And it is still going strong.

This longevity stands in contrast to much of today’s shifting geopolitical and economic landscape. And I believe it is worth reflecting on what has made our partnership so enduring and effective — particularly in a world where ambitious plans are often confounded by short-term thinking.

The first part of the answer is simple: sustained alignment around long-term value creation. This is the foundation of any strong partnership — and from day one, it has been the basis of our relationship with the Saudi government. From the start, the Kingdom’s North Star was economic progress and prosperity. Guided by that vision, we have worked together on projects that have advanced growth at every stage of national development, strengthening the security and prosperity of both our countries.

For example, Bechtel’s work on the Ras Tanura refinery helped �������� to process its own oil and build an industrial base at home, as the supplier of choice for the world’s growing demand for energy. Then, a few years later, we constructed the Trans-Arabian Pipeline, which carried that energy to the world — linking the Kingdom to global markets.

When Bechtel builds critical infrastructure in ��������, we are not just erecting steel or pouring concrete. We are training Saudis and transferring technical expertise. 

Brendan Bechtel

Fast forward to the modern era. As the world began to shift away from oil and a new growing generation of young Saudis came of age, King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman launched Vision 2030 — the nation’s ambitious plan to diversify the economy and sustain prosperity for generations.

Together with the Kingdom, we are delivering the infrastructure that will realize this vision. We recently completed the Riyadh Metro, the world’s longest driverless electric transit system. And we are helping to develop the new King Salman International Airport, the New Murabba urban district, the World Expo 2030 site, and Ar Rjum, Ma’aden’s new gold-mine project.

While partnerships around infrastructure projects are long-term, given the scale and complexity of the work, what kept ours continuous — rather than episodic — is a shared understanding that economic transformation is a generational project requiring patient capital, long-term engagement and, importantly, mutual respect and investment.

That touches on the second reason our partnership — and others like it — has helped the Kingdom unlock progress: a deep commitment to building local capacity. When Bechtel builds critical infrastructure in ��������, we are not just erecting steel or pouring concrete. We are training Saudis, transferring technical expertise, elevating international standards and practices, and investing in long-term relationships that build homegrown talent rather than create dependency.

We have been proud to train thousands of Saudi professionals in engineering, construction, and project management. Our graduate development programs, partnerships with leading Saudi universities, and collaborations with the Saudi Council of Engineers and the Saudi Women Engineers Society, have all brought that commitment to life.

Today, nearly 30 percent of our workforce in the Kingdom are Saudi nationals, leading and advancing our projects across the Kingdom. These professionals will be the key to advancing artificial intelligence, energy independence, advanced industries, and critical minerals — crucial to both countries’ future and for global prosperity more broadly.

Ultimately, American companies have been building in the Middle East for three quarters of a century. The meetings and negotiations this week will help to ensure we will continue building for the next three quarters of a century. That is not a story that generates headlines. It is just the quiet work of building a better future for both our countries, one project at a time. And that quiet work might be the most important story of all.

• Brendan Bechtel is Chairman and CEO of Bechtel, a global engineering, procurement, construction, and project management company.