“Saudi Arabia believes in engagement with Iran, but Iran has shown no interest in engagement,” states one Saudi official.
In December 2007, Qatar invited President Ahmadinejad to address a Gulf Cooperation Council conference in Doha. It was the first time a non-GCC leader was accorded such an honor. The Iranian president, who walked into the conference holding hands with King Abdullah, gave “a good speech … apart from repeating ‘Persian Gulf’ about 100 times,” said the same Saudi official.
It took a while, but the Iranians finally responded and had the GCC secretary-general for an official visit in October. It was a low-key, but a breakthrough nonetheless.
Be strong. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia is keeping its military armaments pantry well-stocked: sophisticated new weapons from the US and the UK, including precision-guided smart bombs, jet fighter upgrades and new naval vessels.
Riyadh has also signed a military technology cooperation agreement with Moscow in June that is expected to pave the way for further arms purchases from Russia.
The country hosted the signing of a free trade agreement between Turkey and the GCC in early September as well. The occasion was described by Arab officials as a way to strengthen the Council’s “strategic partnership” with Turkey. And in diplomatic terms, it also sent a signal across the Gulf to to Iran, that its neighbors have important Muslim allies.
Riyadh also is focusing on nuclear-armed Pakistan, which the Saudis see as an important regional balancer if Iran ever does acquire a nuclear weapon capability. “Pakistan is a big part of the security puzzle for the Saudis,” said one foreign diplomat. “They see its nuclear capability as part of the deterrent against Iran.”
Saudi concern about the deleterious effect of Afghanistan’s violent turmoil on Pakistan’s internal stability was no doubt a factor in Riyadh’s attempt to jump-start Afghan peace negotiations. To that end, King Abdullah hosted a meeting of Afghan government representatives and Taliban delegates in Mecca in late September.
Security concerns, including the battle against terror, have been a focus for Riyadh. But on the diplomatic front, it hasn’t always been able to respond as adeptly as some neighboring states, says Brookings’ Amr.
“What you have seen is Qatar and the United Arab Emirates engage more significantly with the international community and that’s for a couple of reasons. One is that these states are smaller and more like a speedboat in that they can turn on a dime. Qatar is a country with a population of a quarter of a million citizens. Saudi Arabia has a hundred times that. It’s like comparing a speedboat to an ocean tanker,” he explains.
“At the same time, who is at the G20 summit? Saudi Arabia. It’s clearly a big player and continues to be a big player on the international stage.”

   Email This Post      Print This Post       Previous