Main SliderOpinionrecommendations

Urgent: An American threat to Saudi Arabia

Sami Gafar

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is exposed to a real threat from the US because of the Kingdom’s policies on the energy market.

 

The Biden administration  considers it harmful to the chances of the Democratic Party in the midterm elections for Congress in next November.

 

This also coincides with Washington’s position in the raging international conflict with Russia and with China in the midterm.

Washington is expected to increase pressure on Riyadh in the near term because it considers the OPEC Plus’ decision to reduce oil production.

 

This is of course seen as a supportive position for Russia against its Western alliance.

 

Thereby leading the National Security Council of the White House to announced that the US needs to re-evaluate its ties with Saudi Arabia, including arms sale deals.

The Democrats in Congress have raised their voices calling for the withdraw of forces and defense systems from the Kingdom, which is a serious American move and not just a threat.

On the other hand, Riyadh views the US as an unreliable ally after it signed the nuclear agreement.

 

This in turn made Iran revel in the region and bombard Saudi cities and oil facilities, and increase its influence in Yemen, Iraq and Lebanon, threatening the security of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries.

 

The same thing will happen again amid Washington’s insistence on returning to the nuclear agreement and ignoring the concerns of the Gulf states, with Saudi Arabia at heart.

Saudi Arabia did not stand still in the face of the America’s stern position,  the Kingdom has been witnessing an accelerated modernization movement led by King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. 

For the past five years, the way forward  is summarized Vision 2030.

The Saudi Vision 2030 depends on strengthening the Kingdom’s relations with the world, especially influential international powers such as China and Russia.

 

This is along with increasing dependence on the non-oil economy and easing the link between the Saudi monarchy and the Wahhabi sect, which maximizes Riyadh’s strategic strength and makes it able to resist any American attempt to undermine its stability.

The qualitative leap that the Kingdom is witnessing is not a response to the shift in US policies toward the Middle East, but rather a result of a mature project that Saudi planners have been working on for years to deal with the strategic shifts in the world and respond to the Kingdom’s requirements as a state and society, in which the proportion of young people is about 66 percent.

The fruits of Vision 2030 have already begun to appear in Saudi Arabia by maximizing the return on tourism with the establishment of the NEOM tourist city and maximizing the Kingdom’s strategic capacity in the field of green economy, digital transformation, space science and other fields, in addition to the development of its political role that was manifested in the G20.

 

Launching these initiatives is a way to confront climate change, and restoring the Gulf countries’ unity at Al-Ula summit.

The Saudi position may seem strong, and it is, but it also needs to restore and strengthen the Arab unity, which has been torn apart since 2011.

In order to turn into a strategic force, a strategic initiative is required, not necessarily bringing together all Arab countries, but by liaising with Gulf states and Algeria, which have huge financial surpluses.

 

Egypt also has a large number of man power, in addition to Sudan, which can be turned into an Arab and international food sanctuary. 

Related Articles

Back to top button