Saudi Arabia: back on the world stage?
The talks between the US and Russia in the Saudi capital Riyadh have triggered a debate in the media about whether the Arab desert state and its controversial royal family are on track to become a key player in global politics.
Trump's key Arab partner
Saudi Arabia is gaining strategic importance, writes La Croix:
“The cornerstone of US-Saudi relations is political and has a name: the Abraham Accords. ... It was proposed by Donald Trump during his first term in office to normalise relations between Israel, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco and Sudan. ... The US president is now making an understanding between Israel and Saudi Arabia a priority. ... In a Middle East where the power balance has shifted since the terrorist attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, Riyadh could not only make people forget the dark side of its authoritarian regime, but also become the arbiter in the conflict between Israel and Hamas.”
A long way off from being a peacemaker
With reference to the war in Gaza, NRC adopts a more sceptical stance:
“As in almost the entire Arab world, the ongoing brutal war and the tens of thousands of Palestinian casualties are provoking anger among the Saudi population. The mere rumour that Saudi Arabia is talking to the Israelis behind closed doors is damaging to the royal family's reputation.... Mohammed bin Salman is no longer a pariah but the Saudi crown prince is reaching his limits here. In their recent statements both Trump and Netanyahu hinted that the war could continue. In that case a normalisation of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia would be completely off the table for the time being.”