america special arrangement saudis keep secret amount debt special arrangement bear 1973 oil shock follow arab embargo one small concession among many successive u.s. administrations make years maintain america strategic relationship saudi royal family access kingdom deep reserve oil secret vast u.s. treasury market holdover age oil shortages mighty petrodollars much america debt saudi arabia question unanswered since 1970s unusual blackout u.s. treasury department come fore saudi arabia pressure plunge oil price costly war middle east.in past year alone saudi arabia burn 100 billion foreign-exchange reserve plug big budget shortfall quarter-century first time also consider sell piece crown jewel state oil company saudi aramco sign strain prompt concern saudi arabia outsize position world large important bond market.a big risk kingdom sell treasury hold believe among large world raise need dollars could buy look port late financial storm matter policy treasury never disclose hold saudi arabia long key ally volatile middle east instead group 14 mostly opec nations include kuwait unite arab emirates nigeria hundred countries china vatican treasury provide detail breakdown much u.s. debt holds.read bloomberg news saudi arabia secret hold u.s. debt big deal