Now they're looking to President Barack Obama to promise more than words and weapons at Thursday's summit at Camp David.
They want commitments that the US has their backs at a time when the Mideast is under attack from Islamic extremists, Syria continues to unravel, Iraq is volatile and Yemen is in chaos.
What are the expectations for the meetings involving Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman?
Weapons sales. A renewed call for a coordinated missile defense system. More joint military exercises. Better cooperation on cybersecurity as well as maritime or border security. Making the countries' defense systems work in concert.