John F. Kennedy was elected President of the United States in November 1960. King Saud sent him a congratulatory telegram, and in his reply, the new American President expressed his gratitude and affirmed that he regarded Saudi‑American relations with special attention and importance.
In 1963, King Saud and President Kennedy met in April of that year—seven months before the President’s assassination on November 22, 1963, in Dallas. The meeting took place during King Saud’s visit to the United States for medical treatment.
The King had been in Florida in 1962 when President Kennedy visited him and extended an invitation for an official visit to Washington. King Saud accepted the invitation in 1963 and traveled to the capital, where the two leaders held discussions regarding the Yemen War, in which the United States supported Egypt’s position.
They also discussed the reforms that the United States had requested from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.