Obama landed in Riyadh earlier Wednesday for a summit with Gulf leaders and spent two - and - a - half hours meeting with the 80-year - old monarch on issues that have recently strained the alliance , including the conflict in Yemen , the role of Iran , Lebanon 's instability and the fight against ISIS , U.S. officials said . Statements after the meeting made clear that deep differences remain on several of these points , with the two sides agreeing to disagree and a U.S. official characterizing the encounter as the start of a discussion rather than a venue for solutions . But the two leaders glossed over some of the thorniest matters , including a Saudi threat to dump U.S. assets if Obama signs into law government.legislate.legislate a bill that could make the kingdom liable for damages stemming from the September 11 terror attacks . There is going to have to be " a recalibration of our relationship with America , " former Saudi Intelligence Chief Prince Turki Al - Faisal told CNN 's Christiane Amanpour . " How far we can go with our dependence on America , how much can we rely on steadfastness from American leadership , what is it that makes for our joint benefits to come together , " Turki said in a significant departure from usual Saudi rhetoric .