The king said that Islam is a “religion of peace” that rejects the 11 September 2001 attacks, but admitted extremism had not been eliminated.
He also said he is working towards cutting oil prices after recent rises.
King Abdullah was crowned monarch of Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest oil exporter, in August.
The interview was part of a policy to improve his country’s image in the US, but admitted that differences over Iraq, Afghanistan and the wider Middle East had soured Saudi public opinion about the US.
