Saudi Arabia’s Active Diplomacy for Maximum Benefits
Saudi Arabia’s Active Diplomacy for Maximum Benefits
While international news has accelerated since Donald Trump’s inauguration, Saudi Arabia’s diplomacy is at its peak. On February 12, Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump agreed after a long phone conversation to initiate urgent negotiations for peace in Ukraine with the support of Saudi Arabia.
In this context, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov met in Riyadh on February 18, and the foreign ministries of both countries announced that a meeting between the presidents of the two countries would soon be held.
Saudi Arabia, which has remained committed to its policy of neutrality throughout this conflict, is leveraging its special relationships with the United States and Russia to position itself as a true diplomatic power while also securing its own interests.
From the beginning of the conflict, the kingdom chose not to condemn Russia’s attack on Ukraine and refrained from following the policy of isolating Russia, which was pursued by the previous U.S. administration and followed by Europeans.
Despite economic sanctions, Saudi Arabia maintained its trade relations with Moscow by buying Russian oil at low prices for domestic consumption and exporting its own oil, which is more economically profitable. The kingdom continued close cooperation with Russia to influence oil prices given the capacities of both countries.
The pinnacle of this cooperation was Vladimir Putin’s visit to Riyadh on December 6, 2023, which signaled a departure from complete alignment with Washington.
This visit, showcased by both the Kremlin and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, symbolized a desire for diplomatic balance.
However, Mohammed bin Salman, distancing himself from the Biden administration, could not have imagined that just two years later, Trump’s return would reward his boldness. Riyadh was pleased with Donald Trump’s re-election, as it had very good relations with him during his previous presidency.
While the leaders of the two countries showed mutual interest in each other, trade exchanges between the two countries were also very fruitful. The kingdom also established significant financial relations with Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, investing nearly two billion dollars in his company, Affinity Partners.
Aware of the expectations of the new administration, Mohammed bin Salman quickly promised to invest approximately 600 billion dollars in the U.S. economy during Trump’s new presidential term, which was warmly welcomed by Trump.
Therefore, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia intends to use its mediation efforts to advance its plans in other regional matters.
Firstly, the country hopes to receive more security guarantees from the United States in exchange for these actions and benefit from their support in developing its civilian nuclear program, which includes uranium enrichment to a certain extent.
Secondly, given the Arab summit held on March 4 in Egypt, Saudi Arabia sought to limit the negative effects of the controversial statements made by the U.S. President regarding the eviction of Palestinians from Gaza to build a Riviera in the Arab world.
Riyadh, as the host of the main Islamic holy sites and claiming leadership of the Sunni Islamic world, cannot accept Donald Trump’s plan for Gaza without risking public backlash.
In this context, the kingdom held an informal summit on Friday, February 21, with the oil-rich Gulf countries, including Jordan and Egypt, to explore credible alternatives to Donald Trump’s plan.
Ultimately, Mohammed bin Salman needs stability in the Persian Gulf both to ensure oil exports, especially to China, and to successfully implement the Vision 2030 project in the field of economic and tourism development post-oil. Therefore, the Saudi Crown Prince fears escalating military tensions between Israel and Iran, which could harm his goals.
Riyadh prefers negotiation with Iran over supporting preemptive strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. On the other hand, Donald Trump also needs Saudi Arabia to curb the activities of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, to prevent escalating tensions with Iran, to find partners for the reconstruction of Gaza, and to influence OPEC to regulate oil prices.
Let’s not forget that the 47th U.S. President, in January, instructed Riyadh to adjust its production to reduce Russia’s revenues and encourage them to negotiate peace in Ukraine.
Ultimately, in a highly unstable international environment, Mohammed bin Salman is well-versed in the principles of political realism and, by avoiding ethical considerations, secures the kingdom’s interests in the best possible way.