UAE Insider
    What's Hot
    life

    BRED Abu Dhabi, Presented by Hypebeast, announces record-breaking turnout of 55,000 visitors

    life

    COS PRESENTS ITS SPRING SUMMER 2024 COLLECT

    Business

    Xpro India Limited to set up its 1st global manufacturing unit in Ras Al Khaimah with an investment of over AED 100 million

    Important Pages:
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions
    Facebook Twitter Instagram Pinterest
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions
    Saturday, June 28
    UAE Insider
    • Home
    • News

      Jardins Tramuntana wins Architecture Award for Son Bunyola Hotel by Sir Richard Branson

      UAE Participates in the 10th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of AIIB

      Roberto Carlos, marks the official launch of Real Madrid Foundation partners with ISD Sports City

      Diabetes Mobile Unit recognised with honourable mention from prestigious Global University Network

      Al Barakah Dates Factory serves as a leading model for the growth and expansion of innovative food industries in Dubai

    • Business

      Unlocking Innovation in Enterprise Software Development

      Roberto Carlos, marks the official launch of Real Madrid Foundation partners with ISD Sports City

      Raya Distribution appointed Exclusive Distributor and after-sales partner for UK Tech Innovator Nothing and its Sub-BranRayad CMF by Nothing

      We One named ‘Security Company of the Year’ at FM Middle East Awards 2025

      Du partners with CRIF to advance sustainability goals via state-of-the-art ESG evaluation platform

    • Life

      Jardins Tramuntana wins Architecture Award for Son Bunyola Hotel by Sir Richard Branson

      Roberto Carlos, marks the official launch of Real Madrid Foundation partners with ISD Sports City

      Gianfranco Ferré Residences unveiled: Waterfront elegance with Milanese soul

      Diabetes Mobile Unit recognised with honourable mention from prestigious Global University Network

      Nando’s Opens Its Biggest UAE Restaurant in the Heart of Jumeirah Beach Residence (JBR)

    Facebook Twitter Instagram Pinterest
    UAE Insider
    Home » Saudi crown prince pushing hard to realign Mideast dynamics
    News

    Saudi crown prince pushing hard to realign Mideast dynamics

    Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp LinkedIn
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest WhatsApp

    RIYADH – Saudi Arabia’s unpredictable crown prince is pushing hard to realign Middle East dynamics, engaging with old foes and orchestrating OPEC oil cuts like the ones on Sunday which took the global market by surprise.

    Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, known as MbS, has signalled he is prepared to go it alone without the help of the United States to pursue Saudi interests, whether it means re-establishing ties with US adversaries like Iran, or removing supplies from the oil market and angering consumers.

    The strategy is designed to create conditions enabling Saudi Arabia to focus on MbS’s vast economic transformation plan, Vision 2030, in which he has poured hundreds of billions of dollars, hoping it will open the conservative kingdom to business and tourism amid rising regional competition.

    The strategic shift began in 2019 after the devastating attacks on Saudi Aramco’s oil facilities – after which Riyadh questioned US security commitments to the region – and gained momentum after Israeli attacks on Iranian targets, analysts say.

    The kingdom hopes to avoid getting caught up in the crossfire, they say.

    “Saudi Arabia is moving from disengagement towards engagement to allow it to focus on pushing ahead on Vision 2030,” said Saudi analyst Abdulaziz Sager.

    The kingdom has gone into diplomatic overdrive, restoring relations with Iran and agreeing to a rapprochement with Syria in its quest to rebuild regional alliances, instead of leaning entirely on the United States, its long-time big power ally.

    Saudi Arabia is planning to invite Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to an Arab League summit that Riyadh is hosting in May, three sources familiar with the plans have said, a move that would formally end Syria’s regional isolation.

    ‘Unwise move’

    The kingdom also announced a decision to join the China-led Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a sign that it is cultivating a long-term relationship with Beijing at the expense of the United States.

    A Saudi official said the United States and China are both very important partners for Riyadh.

    “We certainly hope not to be part of any competition or dispute between the two superpowers. We are not a superpower, but what we are is an important player in the region and global economy,” the official, who declined to be named, said.

    White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said on Monday Riyadh remains a strategic partner for Washington even if the two did not agree on all issues. Washington and Riyadh are working on addressing common security challenges, he said.

    Riyadh’s increasing assertiveness extends to oil policies.

    On Sunday, the Saudi-led Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and their allies including Russia (OPEC+) announced further production cuts of about 1.16 million barrels per day (bpd), drawing US disapproval.

    The Gulf Research Center, a Saudi-based think-tank, said the OPEC cuts show major oil producers can free themselves from US-Western pressure and pursue an independent policy that puts their national interests first.

    “We’re in a Saudi First oil market now. Producers don’t just earn more, they enjoy far more geopolitical leverage when markets are tight,” said Jim Krane, a research fellow at Rice University’s Baker Institute.

    Mending fences with Iran

    In a significant deal brokered by China, Riyadh reached an agreement with Tehran to revive diplomatic relations, after years of bitter rivalry that have fuelled conflict across the Middle East.

    Elisabeth Kendall, a Middle East expert at Cambridge’s Girton College, said the abrupt U-turn might have been spurred by the escalating confrontation between Israel and Iran.

    “Saudi likely hopes that by thawing relations with Iran, it will avoid getting caught up in another regional conflict, thereby removing the risk of another direct Iranian attack on its infrastructure, such as the crippling 2019 attacks on Aramco,” Kendall said. Iran denied responsibility.

    On Sunday, Israeli forces carried out air strikes on Iranian outposts in Syria, the Syrian defence ministry said. Western intelligence sources said a series of air bases in central Syria where Iranian personnel are based were hit.

    The attack, the latest in a series on Iranian military facilities in Tehran’s close ally Syria, raised the spectre of a broader regional confrontation that would put US Gulf allies in the line of fire should military operations escalate.

    Previous air strikes on Saudi oil sites, and on a United Arab Emirates fuel depot by Iranian-backed Yemeni Houthi forces, have laid bare the uncertainty surrounding the US security stake in its Arab allies, prompting Riyadh to push for de-escalation with Tehran and diversify its security partners.

    There has never been any serious dialogue, either within the US government or with the Saudis, on the conditions under which Washington would come to the defence of Saudi Arabia should it be attacked, said Bilal Saab, Director of the Defence and Security Program at the Middle East Institute in Washington.

    “The Saudis don’t want to be in a shooting war between Iran and the United States. They don’t trust that Washington will protect them,” Saab said.

    Riyadh’s growing ties with Beijing have raised security jitters in Washington, which says Chinese attempts to exert influence around the world will not change US policy toward the Middle East.

    Shadi Hamid of the Brookings Institution in Washington said Saudi Arabia’s view that the US is increasingly disengaged from the region is not entirely wrong.

    “The crown prince has decided to hedge his bets, both as a concession to reality but also as a way of provoking the US to pay more attention to its security concerns,” Hamid said.

    “The US has been annoyed but has not retaliated in any way, which in turn has emboldened Saudi Arabia to continue deepening its relationship with America’s chief adversaries.”

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn WhatsApp

    Related Posts

    life

    Jardins Tramuntana wins Architecture Award for Son Bunyola Hotel by Sir Richard Branson

    News

    UAE Participates in the 10th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of AIIB

    Business

    Roberto Carlos, marks the official launch of Real Madrid Foundation partners with ISD Sports City

    life

    Diabetes Mobile Unit recognised with honourable mention from prestigious Global University Network

    Business

    Al Barakah Dates Factory serves as a leading model for the growth and expansion of innovative food industries in Dubai

    life

    Nando’s Opens Its Biggest UAE Restaurant in the Heart of Jumeirah Beach Residence (JBR)

    News

    Repton Dubai unveils bold new campus transformation

    Business

    PIF launches new company to deliver Expo 2030 Riyadh

    Stay In Touch
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    Don't Miss
    Business

    ESET Named Strategic Leader in EPR Comparative Report 2024

    ESET, a global leader in cybersecurity, is pleased to announce that ESET PROTECT Enterprise has…

    Tarjama launches new feature “Pronoia” for Arabic AI translation

    MAIA Luxury: Where heritage meets haute couture in the heart of Dubai

    KFSHRC Implements Advanced Technology for Single-Step Cancerous Tissue Examination

    Amsa Hospitality and Luxury Hotelschool Paris Sign Strategic Partnership for Hospitality Training Academy in Saudi Arabia

    Recent Posts

    • Jardins Tramuntana wins Architecture Award for Son Bunyola Hotel by Sir Richard Branson
    • UAE Participates in the 10th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of AIIB
    • Unlocking Innovation in Enterprise Software Development
    • Roberto Carlos, marks the official launch of Real Madrid Foundation partners with ISD Sports City
    • Raya Distribution appointed Exclusive Distributor and after-sales partner for UK Tech Innovator Nothing and its Sub-BranRayad CMF by Nothing
    Our Picks
    life

    Zvezda Beauty: A New Brand Launching from the Heart of Saudi Arabia

    News

    Uae Flights: Airline Announces New Non-Stop Service Between Paris And Abu Dhabi From October

    Business

    Citizenship Network Processes Over 500 Applications in First Three Ǫuarters of 2024 and Launches Comprehensive Apostilled Document Service

    Business

    Al-Futtaim’s Blue Partners With Emarat’s Loyalty Program EmCan To Provide Double Earnings For Members

    Must Read
    Business

    Careem Pay introduces instant transfers to Europe and business payments to India

    Business

    Museum of the Future hosts Audi’s iconic S1 e-tron quattro Hoonitron – a race car like no other

    Categories
    • Business (338)
    • life (134)
    • News (144)
    Our Picks
    Business

    Experience Luxury Banking with NBO Muzn Islamic Banking’s New Premium Banking Segments

    Business

    Samsung Gulf celebrates local talent with first Galaxy Creators’ Day event; unveils new Galaxy line-up in UAE

    About us

    Stay connected with UAEInsider, your ultimate source for insightful news, updates, and analysis on all things UAE and beyond. Dive into the heart of the Emirates’ stories, explore diverse perspectives, and stay informed about the latest developments shaping our region and the world.

    UAE Insider
    Facebook Twitter Instagram Pinterest
    • Home
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions
    © 2025 UAE Insider.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.