RIYADH, Saudi Arabia -- When Starbucks opened coffee shops in this conservative, Muslim kingdom where women go out covered from head to toe, it removed the trademark siren from its logo, keeping only her crown.

The customization of the logo -- which in the original depicts a crowned, stylized woman with long hair covering her breasts -- could stand as a symbol for the complex relationship between Saudi Arabia and the United States.

It has been a relationship of accommodation between a monarchy ruled according to Islamic law and a secular, liberal democracy. The bond has been maintained over almost six decades because both sides have been prepared to accept their differences while pursuing mutual interests that have matured into a thick web of political and economic ties.

That dynamic has come under scrutiny since the Sept. 11 terror attacks, which Washington says were masterminded by Saudi dissident Osama bin Laden and carried out by 19 of his al-Qaida operatives, 15 of them Saudi.

Levels of relations

On the governmental level, relations appear not to have been affected. U.S. officials say the Saudis have provided all the help asked of them in the anti-terrorism fight, and the Saudis' new proposal for an Israeli-Palestinian peace has the Americans' attention.

But on a personal level, the relationship seems shakier.

Shortly after the Sept. 11 attacks, a Saudi delegation led by the foreign minister, Prince Saud, went to Washington to offer condolences to U.S. officials.

"People were so understanding of our situation that we asked: 'If this is how you see things, then how come there's this vicious campaign by your media?"' said Bandar M. al-Aiban, chairman of Foreign Affairs Committee in the Shura Council, an unelected consultative body.

Questions have been raised in U.S. news media about the stability of Saudi Arabia, its loyalty as an ally and the extent of its support for the U.S.-led war on terror. Some asked if the kingdom's conservative society bred hatred of the West and its values.

Saudi officials contend the stories are being instigated by Israel and its supporters to drive a wedge between Saudis and Americans.

Abdulmohsin Addawood, vice editor in chief of the newspaper Al-Riyadh, said Saudis should not be blamed for the actions of a few individuals who "violated all values" in committing the Sept. 11 attacks.

"They have their own extremists in the United States. Wasn't David Koresh an extremist? Wasn't Timothy McVeigh an extremist? They didn't live in Islamic extremist societies," Addawood said.

Fewer Saudi travelers

The number of Saudis traveling to the United States has dropped dramatically since the attacks because of worries about how they would be treated.

Majed al-Juhhali, 29, who owns a rental car business, said he's leery of going for fear of being detained because he took pilot training in Daytona Beach, Fla. He's also concerned about how people on the street would react to his being a Saudi.

"I lived in the United States for four years and never felt discriminated against," he said. "I know Americans as friendly people. I don't want anything to change my view of them."

Despite the tensions, U.S. and Saudi experts think the ties will survive. But they say the two sides should do more to examine the common values that underlie their relationship.

"It's time for an honest dialogue between Saudi Arabia and the United States to adjust the relationship to new times," said Chas W. Freeman, a former U.S. ambassador to the kingdom who is president of the Washington-based Middle East Policy Council.

When the relationship began in 1945, it was built on a very simple bargain: Saudi Arabia offered oil in return for U.S. protection against its external enemies.

The United States became the kingdom's biggest trading partner. Last year it imported 1.7 million barrels of Saudi oil a day, more than twice the level of 15 years ago.

The Saudis became the biggest buyers of U.S. weapons -- $39 billion worth in the 1990s. They have also been major U.S. creditors, buying billions in Treasury bonds, and enthusiastic investors in U.S. business. Many Saudis sent their children to American schools.

But over the years, other issues arose as the United States became more involved in the region, especially in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, where Saudis feel Washington leans unfairly to Israel's side.