American businesses dealing with people like the Saudis, and the Saudis themselves, have learned how to get around the U.S. anti-bribery laws using the types of deals mentioned above. The Bushes, their friends, and the people in the Administration have had long experience with this kind of thing, and they know how to play the intensely corrupt Saudis like a flute (and vice versa).
To my understanding this is absolutely true of Saudi Arabia. On the other hand, Kuwait is reputed to have one of the free-est and most open economies on the globe.
P.S. Saudi Arabia is literally bankrupt, and may soon be emulating Argentina or the old Soviet Union when the creditors decide to turn off the taps. Their only hope is a significant rise in oil prices. This gives the lie to the above article's claim that the Bush admin is beholden to the Sauds, as Dubya and company are doing everything possible (seeking to increase domestic production, bring more Central Asian oil to market, and lobbying Russia and others to defy OPEC limits) to bring and keep oil prices DOWN.