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.”

 

 


Prince Sultan University hosts panel on space exploration

Updated 1 min 29 sec ago
Follow

Prince Sultan University hosts panel on space exploration

  • Kingdom has already achieved a high-calibre position in space industry, says NASA’s Bill Nelson

RIYADH: Delegations from NASA and the Saudi Space Agency visited Prince Sultan University on Tuesday to engage with students on the future of human missions in space.

A panel session titled “Beyond Earth: Journeys to the Stars,” brought together NASA administrator Bill Nelson and Saudi astronauts Rayannah Barnawi, Ali Al-Ghamdi and Mariam Fardous, to discuss their own experiences in space.

Chairman of the Saudi Space Agency Abdullah Al-Swaha recently held talks with NASA’s Bill Nelson. (Supplied)

They also debated the future of human missions in space and encouraged the university’s students to be part of the Kingdom’s aspirations in the space field.

Mohammed Al-Tamimi, CEO of Saudi Space Agency, and Ambassador of the US to the Kingdom Michael Ratney, were also present at the reception.

HIGHLIGHTS

• The panel discussion hosted at Prince Sultan University debated the future of human missions in space.

• During his visit to the Kingdom, Bill Nelson also met Munir Eldesouki, president of King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology.

In an interview with Arab News, Nelson highlighted the importance of space missions. “When we go into space, we have to invent and create new things and that helps us advance our standard of living here on the earth,” he said.

The panel session titled ‘Beyond Earth: Journeys to the Stars’ brought together NASA administrator Bill Nelson and Saudi astronauts Rayannah Barnawi, Ali Al-Ghamdi and Mariam Fardous, to discuss their own experiences in space. (AN photo by Huda Bashatah)

“One of the good examples that I gave in the speech today is the camera in your cell phone, that was developed by NASA. It’s a camera on a chip … there are so many technological outgrowths and spinoffs from our developing space technology.”

Nelson said that there would be further developments in the near future in pharmaceutical research and zero gravity on the International Space Station.

When we go into space, we have to invent and create new things and that helps us advance our standard of living here on the earth.

Bill Nelson, NASA administrator

“There are going to be some major breakthroughs, and already have been on developing drugs, for the cure of diseases. So, there’s a lot of excitement in the future,” he said.

Saudi Arabia has already achieved a high-calibre position in the space industry, he said.

Ahmed Yamani, president of Prince Sultan University, said that it had established a new college of space and aviation with the cooperation with the Saudi Space Agency and Al-Tamimi.

“We went through the process of the initiating this college, which is really based on what we already have … we have a program, aviation management, that was established with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Florida.”

Yamani said that the university was already building the foundation of the space and aviation program with “external consultants that are working with us on both department and both programs. So, we want to definitely touch on the latest and the update updated programs in these areas.”

During his visit to the Kingdom, Nelson also met Munir Eldesouki, president of King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, and discussed ways to deepen cooperation in the space sector.

Chairman of the Saudi Space Agency Abdullah Al-Swaha held talks with Nelson in the presence of Al-Tamimi, and they discussed strategic partnership in the field of space to serve humanity.

The Saudi Space Agency is responsible for developing and growing its space sector with a focus on supporting economic growth, stimulating innovation and scientific research.

 


Saudi Arabia takes part in Netherlands forum as strategic partner

Updated 2 min 28 sec ago
Follow

Saudi Arabia takes part in Netherlands forum as strategic partner

  • The authority is collaborating with the World Bank to conduct studies on the economic impact of geospatial information in Saudi Arabia

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Survey and Geospatial Information is serving as a strategic partner in the Geospatial World Forum, a global event with more than 300 speakers specializing in geospatial information.

Themed “Geospatial Transition: Powering the World Economy,” the four-day forum is taking place in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, until May 16.

GEOSA represents the Kingdom at home and abroad in the geospatial sector.

Themed ‘Geospatial Transition: powering the world economy,’ the four-day forum is taking place in rotterdam, the Netherlands, until May 16. (SPA)

The Rotterdam forum provides a platform to exchange knowledge and unveil smart solutions provided by geospatial information, and includes more than 55 pavilions showcasing the latest technology in the sector.

During the opening session, Mohammed Al-Sayel, president of the authority, said in a speech that geospatial information is playing an important role in decision-making within the rapidly growing Saudi economy.

FASTFACT

Geospatial World Forum held in Rotterdam provides a platform to exchange knowledge and unveil smart solutions provided by geospatial information.

The authority is collaborating with the World Bank to conduct studies on the economic impact of geospatial information in the Kingdom, he added, highlighting work with international organizations concerned with geospatial information management specifications, standards and governance.

Themed ‘Geospatial Transition: powering the world economy,’ the four-day forum is taking place in rotterdam, the Netherlands, until May 16. (SPA)

Al-Sayel said that the Kingdom, represented by GEOSA, has contributed to the development of geospatial information management globally by hosting the UN Global Geospatial Ecosystem Center of Excellence in Riyadh. The center allows experts to exchange expertise and knowledge within the geospatial information management sphere.

The Kingdom has built and maintained national geospatial infrastructure according to the best international practices, he added, in addition to working on developing national capabilities in the sector.

During a session titled “Geospatial Transition Driving Economic Value in Various Sectors,” GEOSA spokesperson Fatma Al-Shammari said that the Kingdom is undergoing a “significant transition” in various developmental fields, with major projects benefiting from advanced geospatial technologies to achieve national targets.

On the sidelines of the forum, the Kingdom, represented by GEOSA, took part in an accompanying exhibition with its main pavilion as a strategic partner, showcasing Saudi Arabia’s national geospatial infrastructure to visitors and introducing the most prominent development projects in the country.

The exhibition covered hydrographic surveying, national geodetic infrastructure and map production.

 


Exercise to deal with environmental emergencies starts in Tabuk region

An exercise aimed at raising readiness to confront environmental emergencies or oil spill incidents is underway on Tabuk coast.
Updated 59 min 2 sec ago
Follow

Exercise to deal with environmental emergencies starts in Tabuk region

  • Exercise is being supervised by the National Center for Environmental Compliance and is taking place in cooperation with 39 governmental and private agencies

RIYADH: An exercise aimed at raising readiness to confront environmental emergencies or oil spill incidents kicked off on the Tabuk coast on Tuesday.

The two-day exercise, called “Response 14,” is part of the Kingdom’s plan to combat pollution of the marine environment with oil and other harmful substances, Saudi Press Agency reported.

The exercise is being supervised by the National Center for Environmental Compliance and is taking place in cooperation with 39 governmental and private agencies.

The center’s official spokesman, Saad Al-Matrafi, revealed that the readiness of each participating agency increased every time such an exercise was held.

He added that there was a noticeable development in the technology being used by the various participating agencies as well as the skills of their employees, as a result of such exercises.

He explained that the exercise is being carried out in several stages in which satellites and advanced simulation programs are used.

Participants will learn how to deal with simulated scenarios of pollution spreading in the middle of territorial waters and its impact extending to coasts and marine habitats.

They will also learn how to contain this pollution and reduce its negative effects on the marine environment and the region’s economy.

Al-Matrafi said the national plan to combat oil spills and harmful substances has succeeded in testing its ability to contain a spill of 75,000 barrels, with a high response rate not exceeding 50 minutes, through the largest fleet of naval units designated for this purpose, in addition to specialist aircraft.


Experts to discuss latest trends in museum innovation in Saudi Arabia

Updated 18 sec ago
Follow

Experts to discuss latest trends in museum innovation in Saudi Arabia

  • Museums are crucial for preserving cultural heritage and fostering national identity

RIYADH: The Kingdom’s Museums Commission will host the International Conference for Education and Innovation in Museums from June 1-3 in Riyadh.

The conference will feature discussions on the latest trends in museum education and innovation, with sessions led by local and international experts, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday.

Attendees can explore modern and innovative technologies such as virtual and augmented reality, and participate in workshops, seminars and research discussions.

Museums are crucial for preserving cultural heritage and fostering national identity. In recent years there has been significant developments in museology, with a focus on diversity, inclusion and community development, the SPA said.

This conference aims to showcase the Kingdom’s cultural heritage, facilitate knowledge exchange, support global museum studies and foster partnerships in the field.

 


UK Deputy PM Dowden sets £30bn Saudi-UK 2030 bilateral trade goal

Updated 14 May 2024
Follow

UK Deputy PM Dowden sets £30bn Saudi-UK 2030 bilateral trade goal

  • Dowden led largest UK overseas trade delegation of the past decade to the GREAT Futures Conference in Riyadh
  • Deputy PM praises ‘stronger than ever’ relationship between the two kingdoms

RIYADH: During an interview with Arab News on the sidelines of the GREAT Futures Conference, UK Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden underlined London’s goal of reaching £30 billion ($37.7 billion) of bilateral trade by 2030.

“The idea of this (GREAT Futures Conference) is to be a sort of shop window to show the opportunities for our two countries and then out of that, I think there’s huge opportunities for further trade and investment,” he said.

“We set an ambitious goal by 2030 of £30 billion of bilateral trade. It’s already growing quite rapidly. It’s about £17 billion. I think we can push it to that.”

The two-day conference from May 14, hosted at King Abdullah Financial District, features 47 sessions and workshops with 127 speakers from both the public and private sectors.

The conference aims to spark and strengthen Saudi-UK partnerships in 13 sectors such as tourism, culture, education, health, sports, investment, trade and financial services.

It welcomed 450 British delegates and company heads to meet with Saudi businesses and officials.

Dowden said he that he thinks “the relationship between our two kingdoms is stronger than it’s ever been.

“It’s based on very firm foundations, whether that’s diplomatic, military or the relationship, indeed, between His Majesty (King Charles III) and (Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman) in the royal family of Saudi Arabia.”

Dowden underlined that what he has witnessed during the GREAT Futures Conference and through the previous visits is “the huge opportunities for the future.

“The crown prince has set out the Vision of 2030. UK companies … want to be part of that vision, and that’s why I’ve brought the largest trade delegation the UK has taken to any country in the world in the past decade, the largest ever, to Saudi Arabia,” he said.

In the opening remarks of day one, the deputy prime minister spoke on a panel alongside Dr. Majid bin Abdullah Al-Qasabi, the Saudi minister of commerce.

He said there is a lot more that the two countries can do in the fields of technology and artificial intelligence.

“I think there’s a lot more we can do to collaborate together there because there’s huge expertise in artificial intelligence in Saudi Arabia,” Dowden said.

During his interview with Arab News Dowden also underlined that North East England is poised to receive investments worth £3 billion from the Kingdom.

“If you look at the North East of England, just one part of the UK, we’ve agreed £3 billion worth of investment that will support 2,000 jobs. I think there’s much more that we can do like that,” he said.

Leading up to the conference, the deputy prime minister stressed the importance of the event in building partnerships between the business sectors of Saudi Arabia and the UK.

“It (GREAT Futures) also allows British companies to familiarize themselves with relevant business regulations, incentives, and advantages for conducting business in Saudi Arabia,” Dowden said.