Arab News debate: Can Saudi-US relations be fixed?

Short Url
Updated 16 June 2023
Follow

Arab News debate: Can Saudi-US relations be fixed?

  • Columnist Rob Sobhani says he would invite Saudi crown prince to White House if he was president as US needs allies more than ever
  • Democratic think-tanker Brian Katulis says there needs to be a “Vision 2030” for US-Saudi relations, says Kingdom is witnessing remarkable transformation
  • Saudi analyst Salman Al-Ansari reiterates Saudi position of building relationships worldwide that do not hurt its allies

CHICAGO: Discussing the future of Saudi-US relations during a special episode of the Ray Hanania Radio Show, a weekly program in the US sponsored by Arab News, Rob Sobhani doubled down on a recent oped in the Washington Times in which he called for Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to be invited to the White House.

“If I were the president of the US, I would call up Mohammed bin Salman, invite him to the White House, say, my friend, my partner — not a fist bump but a shaking of the hand — and say, my friend, my dear friend, let’s solve some of these global problems together,” Sobhani, an author and an adjunct professor at Georgetown University, told Wednesday’s program.

Sobhani made his recommendation for Saudi-US engagement in the oped, published on June 7, to drive home the point that maintaining and enhancing the bilateral relationship was vitally important in an increasingly multipolar world in which the US arguably needs friends and allies more than ever.

“I wrote the piece because I think it’s important to understand what makes Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman tick,” said Sobhani. “And it’s important because, in a turbulent world, where we’re moving to a new paradigm of a multipolar world. 

“But it needs allies that are independent thinkers, allies that love their own country, but also understand the value that a US relationship brings. And I really, really firmly believe that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman can be a very, very strong partner of the US, especially on global challenges, which the crown prince himself is now championing, such as climate, such as supply-chain issues, such as global pandemic.




Rob Sobhani: Writer, author and adjunct professor at Georgetown University specializing in US Policy in the Middle East and CEO, chairman, and founder of Caspian Group holdings, LLC.

“So I do believe that President Biden and his foreign-policy team need to really rethink the way in which they look at Saudi Arabia in general and, in particular, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.”

Sobhani’s oped has sparked fresh debate in US foreign-policy circles about Washington’s handling of the bilateral relationship. Indeed, perceptions of Saudi Arabia and the Middle East in general have been particularly divided in recent years.

Asked whether it took a lot of convincing or pushback to publish his op-ed in the Washington Times, Sobhani said the publication could be fair and also critical when it needed to be. He compared it favorably to many of the liberal mainstream media, which, he said, had got it wrong on the Middle East in the past.

“The Washington Times has been a very fair and balanced paper as it concerns Saudi Arabia,” Sobhani told the program. “When the time comes, they’ll be critical. They’ll post critical op-eds. But, overall, they have been extremely, extremely balanced in their writings and in their narratives about Saudi Arabia.


ALSO READ: US needs partners to face challenges, it has no better friend than MBS: Washington Times columnist


“I personally preferred to put this piece in the Washington Times because history suggests that 45, 46, 47 years ago, when the liberal media in this country used the term ‘saint’ for (Iran’s) Ayatollah Khomeini, and now we see the results, it is indeed important that good media balance, media like the Times, be applauded.”

Weighing in on the topic, Democratic commentator Brian Katulis, a senior fellow and vice president of policy at the Middle East Institute and editor at large of the Liberal Patriot, agreed that the US needs to revise its position on Saudi Arabia.

Having previously argued for a deepening of Saudi-US ties, Katulis told the Ray Hanania Radio Show that American officials need to understand that the dynamics have changed since 1991 when it was the pre-eminent power in a unipolar world.

Instead, he called for a “Vision 2030” for US-Saudi relations, riffing on the Kingdom’s social reform and economic diversification strategy, designed to move away from hydrocarbon dependency and to open up to new industries, investments and ideas.

“America has changed and it’s quite different from what we heard from Obama or Bush or Clinton,” Katulis told the program. “I would take what is the self-professed Saudi vision for its own social and economic transformation. It’s been out there for a while, and I would combine the two.

“I’ve talked to very senior US and Saudi officials about the need to do this right and they know it ... So, you have to have a long-term discussion between the two sides, a strategic dialogue, and it’s got to be a conversation. It’s got to be no holds barred. But we’re equal partners and let’s talk about it. And then you would chart it out in each of the different sectors.”




Brian Katulis: a senior fellow and vice president of policy at the Middle East Institute and editor-at-large of The Liberal Patriot.

Asked whether Saudi authorities tend to get on better with Democrats or Republicans, Katulis said there are actually a lot of similarities between both parties on national security topics involving the Middle East.

“If you look at both the Biden administration’s national security strategy document and the Trump administration’s national security strategy document, there’s a lot of similarities actually between the two,” he said.

“And I think if countries like Saudi Arabia did a better job in articulating how they actually will help America advance its interests and even, to some extent, on certain issues like social issues, the values, they’re going to be much more persuasive with politicians on both sides of the aisle on Capitol Hill.

“And ultimately ... 2023 is also not like 2005 or 2013 in that a lot of these national-security questions, and especially Middle East policy questions, quite frankly, are not on the radar screen of American politics the way they used to be. That’s an advantage, but it’s also a disadvantage.”

For his part, Salman Al-Ansari, a Saudi businessman, writer and political commentator, said there is a lot of miscommunication about the realities of Saudi Arabia and that US officials are not getting the full picture — particularly on the Kingdom’s stance on Syria’s readmission into the Arab League.

“I think the case has not been understood widely in the global narrative,” he told the Ray Hanania Radio Show. “What happened has been explained by the foreign affairs minister of Saudi Arabia, Prince Faisal bin Farhan.

“He said it’s going to be a step for a step. Which means what? Yes, we admitted Syria back into the fold, to the Arab world. But that doesn’t mean that they will be having some kind of economic benefit out of it.

“But the stalemate was not helpful. That’s the view of Saudi Arabia. So, if we go back to the Congress bill, with regard to Syria, and the Caesar Bill, which is about the sanctions, it mentioned three major points: To lift the sanctions on Syria. There needs to be a political reform based on (UN Security Council Resolution) 2254. Saudi Arabia wants that.

“Second, to have the sanctions to be lifted, you need to send out or kick out the militias. The Iranian and the foreign militias out of Syria. And Saudi Arabia wants that. The third is to have an amnesty and also to have the opposition and the refugees to be back to Syria. And Saudi Arabia wants that.

“So, I don’t think the Saudis and the US are not on the same page. They are actually on the exact same page. They have the same objective. But Saudi Arabia wants to achieve that objective through admitting or readmitting Syria to the Arab fold.”




Salman Al-Ansari: A Saudi businessman, writer and political commentator, who specializes in strategic and political communications.

As for Saudi Arabia’s warming relations with China, Al-Ansari said the US should not be concerned.

“China is the biggest trading partner of Saudi Arabia and 130 other nations as well, including the US itself. So, it’s a reality and the Kingdom is re-evaluating its strategic worldview accordingly,” he said.

“And we should not deny the fact that unipolarity is somehow over. And I believe it to be a good thing because multipolarity means more voices, more perspectives and more progress, and the world needs balance and multipolarity brings equilibrium.

“And the US — I don’t want to be mistaken — the US will always remain Saudi Arabia’s biggest strategic and security partner.”

Al-Ansari thinks part of the problem with Saudi-US relations is the Kingdom’s inability to communicate its message clearly to an American audience. In fact, as he pointed out, Saudi Arabia is the only G20 country without an English language news channel.

“A TV channel is very important. We should have a lot of English-based networks when it comes to the media to tell our stories,” he said.

“And I’m actually optimistic about the current minister of media in Saudi Arabia, who has been in the field of media for so long and he’s a writer and thinker who can actually advance the Saudi approach to the whole world.

“So maybe that issue of us not being understood is a two way stream. From the other side, we have seen how there is this actually Saudi phobia, unfortunately, and how whatever we do, we are always damned if we do, damned if we don’t.

“That’s one, to blame the US and the Western media for. And the other blame is on us not being vocal and not having institutions that can actually tell our exact stories.”

As a result, Al-Ansari believes there have been several missed opportunities to promote some of the Kingdom’s achievements.

“You don’t hear (about these achievements) in the Western media, or the biased ones, for sure. And that’s one of the reasons that we are not having this kind of good coverage,” he said.

“I remember the Saudi ambassador to the EU, Haifa Al-Judea, pointing out that Saudi Arabia has removed all barriers for women to enter the labor market and said Saudi Arabia introduced laws for equal pay in 2019, which even many of the EU states and the US don’t have.

“So, these things are amazing. These things had not been anticipated just six, seven, eight years ago. And right now we are having this kind of, I would call it a Saudi renaissance that needs to be seen with admiration rather than just being critical for no reason.”

Opinion

This section contains relevant reference points, placed in (Opinion field)

So, what would it take for the Saudi-US relationship to be fixed? Apart from inviting Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to the White House, Sobhani said the US and Saudi Arabia should identify a handful of areas where they can cooperate and make a difference.

“I guarantee you that if the US and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman got together in a room and decided, you know what, we’re going to capture two-thirds of all the carbon that’s out there by planting a trillion trees, the world would be behind it,” said Sobhani, highlighting the Saudi and Middle East Green Initiatives, launched by the crown prince in 2021.

“If we go to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and argue, let’s build the world’s best cancer cluster so that we can solve the problem of cancer, he will step up to the plate.

“Because guess what? Cancer doesn’t understand Saudi or American. Cancer does not understand Republican or Democrat. Cancer does not understand Salafi or Wahhabi. Cancer kills.

“And if we partner with Saudi Arabia and Mohammed bin Salman, that’s positive for the world.”

Sobhani drew parallels between the Saudi crown prince and other famous reformist figures from Middle Eastern history.

“Ataturk in Turkiye trying to take a country and move it forward. Reza Shah in Iran, trying to take a country and move it forward. A former leader of Singapore turning an island nation into one of the most prosperous (states),” he said, referring to Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, Mohammad Reza Shah and Lee Kuan Yew.

“Yes, along the road there may have been bumps for Mohammed bin Salman, but there is no doubt that he is on the right trajectory to be a leader for his country.”

For Katulis, despite concerns about political divisions in the US, the country remains a resilient force and the best possible ally for Saudi Arabia.

“They (the Saudis) know deep down inside there’s no better country to partner with, not only for their security, but also in the long term economically,” he said.

“I actually think America has an amazing resilience and an ability to correct itself in terms of its own system. And it’s because we have a free media, we have freedom, we have a lot of independence.

“It’s chaotic from time to time. And yes, there are divisions, but I think there is a genuine desire to partner with the US and think about the future.”

Furthermore, Katulis believes now is the right time for the US to fully engage strategically with the Middle East as a whole.

“America, rather than restrain itself or pull back from the region, actually needs to double down on its engagement in the region,” he said.

“By that, I mean not just military maneuvers and helping others protect themselves from threats, but also seizing opportunities, economic opportunities, social change opportunities. And it would be better for the US to do this.”

 

 


Greece’s prime minister receives MWL chief in Athens

Updated 18 May 2024
Follow

Greece’s prime minister receives MWL chief in Athens

RIYADH: Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis received the secretary-general of the Muslim World League on Tuesday in Athens, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
During the meeting, Mitsotakis and Mohammed Al-Issa discussed a number of topics of common interest.
Al-Issa, who is also chairman of the Association of Muslim Scholars spoke about Islamic values that call for global peace and understanding between its peoples, and said he appreciated the warm reception he received during his visit and the good sentiments expressed toward the Islamic civilizational contribution.
Al-Issa then met with Islamic officials in Greece, including muftis and imams, and visited the Athens Mosque, during which he expressed his pleasure with the additional dialogue that took place during the meeting.
He also met with Ieronymos II, the Archbishop of Athens and All Greece, during which the two sides stressed the importance of the role of religious leaders in addressing all forms of religious, ethnic, and civilizational clashes around the world.


Saudi environment and water minister heads Kingdom’s delegation at World Water Forum

Updated 18 May 2024
Follow

Saudi environment and water minister heads Kingdom’s delegation at World Water Forum

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture, Abdulrahman Al-Fadhli, is heading the Kingdom’s delegation participating in the 10th World Water Forum in Bali and will attend the high-level session, on behalf of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The forum, inaugurated by Indonesian President Joko Widodo, kicked off Saturday and runs until May 25, with heads of state and government, ministers and officials from 180 countries, and 250 international organizations attending.
The Kingdom is participating with a high-level delegation representing the water sector, and will participate in an exhibition that highlights its efforts in developing the water industry through its regional and international contributions.
It will also organize a dialogue session on the sidelines of the forum in preparation for the Kingdom’s hosting of the 11th session of the World Water Forum in 2027 in Riyadh, under the slogan “Action for a Better Tomorrow.”
The Kingdom’s hosting of the event also comes as “confirmation of Saudi Arabia’s role in addressing water challenges around the world and its commitment to issues of environmental sustainability, based on what it has provided over decades of pioneering global experience in producing, transporting and distributing water and innovating technical solutions to its challenges,” the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The Kingdom has helped push water issues to the top of the international agenda, a move it adopted during its hosting of the G20 in 2020, and to put strategic plans to ensure water security, strengthen partnerships with global and scientific institutions, and build capacities at all levels, SPA added.
This year’s forum is being held under the slogan “Water for Shared Prosperity,” and will discuss several sub-themes, including water security and prosperity; disaster risk reduction and management; and hydro-diplomacy.


Tears of joy as American reunites with Saudi family after 40 years

Updated 18 May 2024
Follow

Tears of joy as American reunites with Saudi family after 40 years

  • Relatives in Saudi Arabia say they ‘never lost hope’ they would one day find Eid Alsumani
  • Eid and his older brother grew up in Alabama estranged from their father and other family members

JEDDAH: A four-decade long search has finally led to the heartwarming reunion of an US citizen with his Saudi family, putting an end to a painful era full of longing and searches that had long promised to end in disappointment.

Two-year-old Eid Alsumani, now 42, and his older brother’s American mother cut ties with the family for reasons that have not been revealed to the public.

She had met Saud Alsumani when he was a student in the US, after which they married and had two sons.

Eid Alsumani and his family were finally reunited on May 9, with many of them meeting their 42-year old relative for the first time. (Supplied)

Following her return to Alabama with the boys, Eid’s mother cut all communication between them and their father, who returned to Saudi Arabia.

“Throughout that period of time, which lasted 40 years, members of the family were searching for their sons through the American Embassy ... (they) tried to search for the family several times, but no leads helped,” said Bander Alsumani, Eid’s cousin.

HIGHLIGHTS

• A video of Eid Alsumani’s reunion with his family at King Abdulaziz International Airport after 40 years of separation went viral on social media.

• For decades, the family had tried everything including seeking the help of the Saudi Embassy in Washington.

An English teacher at Abdullah Al-Thagafi High School in Jeddah, Bander told Arab News that his family did not lose hope in finding the lost brothers. “We just hoped they were alive.”

After decades of searches that yielded no results, their father died, never having reconnected with his sons. Their uncle, Khalid Alsumani, went to the US, determined to find his estranged nephews.

Eid Alsumani and his family were finally reunited on May 9, with many of them meeting their 42-year old relative for the first time. (Supplied)

According to Bander, while the uncle sought the help of the Saudi Embassy in Washington, the perseverence of another member of the family paid off as they found Eid on Instagram.

“It was the happiest day for the family ... we all were in joy and happiness when we heard Eid is alive and coming back home with his uncle,” said Bander. The joy also came with the sad news that Eid’s older brother had already died.

Eid and his family were finally reunited on May 9, with many of them meeting their 42-year old relative for the first time.

I believe I will visit again in maybe six months. Inshallah, I will continue to learn more about my religion, Arabic, and my family.

Eid Alsumani, Found after 40 years

“It was the most wonderful feeling in the world … just couldn’t believe that the family had been reunited with (their) son after so many years,” said Bander.

A heartwarming video of Eid’s reunion with his family at King Abdulaziz International Airport after 40 years of separation went viral on social media.

When Eid appeared from passport control with his uncle, his cousins and relatives hugged him one after another tightly, shedding tears of joy.

The family hosted a gathering with various members of the family who came from all corners to meet the long lost son and celebrate the joyous occasion.

During the emotional reunion, Eid, dressed in traditional Saudi attire, expressed his immense happiness and relief at being reunited with his extended family.

A US citizen, Eid was raised in Alabama and currently resides in Florida having graduated with bachelor’s of science degree in history and nuclear engineering technology.

Speaking to Arab News after performing Umrah in Makkah, Eid described the scene at the airport as “unbelievable.”

He said: “It was surreal. It was the first time I had been in my fatherland.

“I was extremely excited about the blessings of seeing four family members who greeted me with the legendary hospitality of Saudi fame. It felt like a scene from a movie.”

Eid, who was raised by his mother with Christian values, has reconnected with Islam with the help of his Saudi relatives.

He described praying in the Grand Mosque in Makkah as an unforgettable moment in his life. “When I was in Makkah, I was amazed to see so many people from all over the world who were walking and praying together as one for the sake of Allah,” he said.

Speaking about his future in the Kingdom, he added: “Alhamdulillah, my stay has been extended for a few days … I believe I will visit again in maybe six months. Inshallah, I will continue to learn more about my religion, Arabic, and my family.”

 


Wildlife center to explore caves in Saudi Arabia’s north

The National Center for Wildlife’s program to explore biodiversity in caves was launched due to its positive impact on wildlife.
Updated 11 min 18 sec ago
Follow

Wildlife center to explore caves in Saudi Arabia’s north

  • The program to explore biodiversity in caves was launched “due to its environmental significance and positive impact on wildlife”

RIYADH: Teams from Saudi Arabia’s National Center for Wildlife will begin examining various caves in the Northern Borders region as part of the Caves Exploration Program, which began in 2022.

It comes as part of a larger program that monitors ecosystems and biodiversity throughout the Kingdom.

These sites will be added to an international map of biodiversity and natural heritage hotspots as historical ecosystems and natural biological museums.

Dr. Mohammed Ali Qurban, National Center for Wildlife CEO

Dr. Mohammed Ali Qurban, CEO of the center, explained that the discoveries in the caves hold significant historical environmental value for Saudi Arabia.

“The cave ecosystems serve as a historical museum, providing evidence of the biological diversity that has existed in the Kingdom throughout various historical eras, as well as the spatial, environmental, and climatic changes in the Arabian Peninsula,” he explained.

The cave ecosystems serve as a historical museum, providing evidence of the biological diversity that has existed in the Kingdom throughout various historical eras.

Dr. Mohammed Ali Qurban, National Center for Wildlife CEO

Qurban added that these unique ecosystems provide a suitable environment for a wide range of organisms, as evidenced by the discovery of numerous skeletons of different types of mammals.

The program to explore biodiversity in caves was launched “due to its environmental significance and positive impact on wildlife.”

The National Center for Wildlife’s program to explore biodiversity in caves was launched due to its positive impact on wildlife. (SPA)

The center is currently completing studies on the targeted cave sites and documenting their importance within an integrated program.

According to Qurban, the center’s earlier discovery of several Arabian cheetah mummies in a cave in the northern part of the Kingdom — with some skeletons estimated to be over 4,000 years old — provided the first evidence of the species’ presence in the Kingdom.

Consequently, the center plans to develop a program for the resettlement of the Arabian cheetah in the Kingdom, enabling it to play a crucial role in maintaining environmental balance.

Qurban noted that, among other significant discoveries, researchers from the center discovered rare bats and the remains of several extinct animals.

The center is currently working on classifying these finds and determining their ages. This effort will facilitate the resettlement of these extinct species or their closest genetic relatives, thereby restoring their role.

The cave ecosystem is one of the rarest and most important of its kind in the world, recognized as natural heritage by UNESCO.

There are 1,826 caves in the Kingdom, consisting of underground passages and tunnels formed by natural processes in dry limestone areas — evidence of a historical era that experienced prolonged rainy climatic conditions.

 


Jeddah university opens maritime studies to women

Updated 18 May 2024
Follow

Jeddah university opens maritime studies to women

  • The university will set up a dedicated agency for female students within the maritime studies faculty as part of an initiative that aligns with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030

RIYADH: Jeddah’s King Abdulaziz University will enroll women in its maritime studies programs for the first time, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Saturday.

The university will set up a dedicated agency for female students within the maritime studies faculty as part of an initiative that aligns with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, which encourages Saudi women to enter new professions, and aims to expand research and study opportunities in this field.

Faisal Al-Thobiani, dean of the faculty of maritime studies, said the move will harness women’s potential in the sector, increasing overall efficiency and sustainability.

The faculty will provide internationally recognized education and training in marine surveying and transport, helping to prepare Saudi professionals and support national economic growth.

Al-Thobiani said that increasing women’s participation will address workforce gaps in the Kingdom’s maritime industry in line with global trends.

Growing female involvement in the sector comes as Vision 2030 prioritizes women’s representation across various industries, he added.