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Lobbying 2016: Saudis spend big to stabilize rocky relationship with United States

Saudi Arabia's Deputy Crown Prince and Minister of Defense Mohammed Bin Salman (L) arrives at the Oval Office of the White House for a meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama in Washington, U.S., June 17, 2016. REUTERS/Carlos Barria - RTX2GS4R
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Saudi Arabia more than doubled its already hefty lobbying budget last year to help navigate a trifecta of challenges to its relationship with the United States.

The conservative Gulf kingdom added five new firms to its roster in 2015, lobbying records show, and shelled out more than $9.5 million to influence US policymakers — up from $4.1 million the year before. The spending spree came amid renewed scrutiny of Riyadh’s role in the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, rising US concerns over its increasingly assertive posture in the region and lingering Saudi misgivings over President Barack Obama’s overtures to regional rival Iran.

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