Trump or Biden … the pillars and constants of Saudi policy

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud held a lengthy dialogue with the “Washington Institute for Near East Policy”, through its Executive Director Robert Satloff, in which he talked about the most important keys that concern all political researchers and international experts to understand the issue of the Kingdom’s foreign policy constants, without speculation or Illusions of popular disinformation; Especially now with the tyranny of the populist and controversial nature of the American elections; The dialogue was detailed and gained its importance due to the level of frankness and transparency that came with the minister’s statements, which were inspired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s recent conversations, and the strategy for responsible political content that expresses the logic of a stable and future-looking country, with a vision that knows its worth and results Saudis and sane people in the world At the same time, it was an additional reason to target the Kingdom, with the political and economic foundations it offers that call things by their own names. Whether on the level of files of terrorism and extremist ideology or regional conflicts, in addition to the position on the issue of national sovereignty.

The importance of the foreign minister’s dialogue lies in its timing and outputs, as it came in the post-Corona pandemic (15 October) or, as the minister said in his dialogue: “a period of time tinged with ambiguity,” and before the US elections, on the occasion of the Saudi-American partnership that It started seventy-five years ago, since the historic meeting between the founder King Abdulaziz (may God have mercy on him) and President Franklin Roosevelt; To the extent that it tracks Saudi Arabia’s presidency of the G20, which strengthened the Kingdom’s position as a cornerstone in presenting its vision to address major global crises. In this regard, the Minister affirmed that we are in today’s world “on the same boat”, and the challenges facing countries are common, and he cannot overcome his current crisis without joint cooperation, concerted efforts and strategic partnerships; Especially with the United States, which has strong and long-term bilateral relations with the Kingdom, and this partnership is not only beneficial to the two countries; Rather, it is for the whole world, as the minister emphasized, evoking decisive historical moments, such as confronting the tide of communism and fighting terrorism formed by extremist organizations from “Al Qaeda” to “ISIS”, confronting their ideology, funding networks, mentality and activities in recruitment, and working to undermine global stability.

As the minister put it: “The region witnessed enough chaos and uncertainty, and suffered a lot from tension, conflicts, and destabilization of legitimate governments.”

In his dialogue, the Foreign Minister touched the root of the crisis in the region, when he talked about the Kingdom’s steadfast strategy towards the world and its issues, which lies in the failure of certain countries led by Iran to commit to any efforts to reduce tensions politically, resolve differences, and invest in their people instead of expansionist ambitions, while the Kingdom’s keenness was To play central roles in the peace agreements between the countries of the Horn of Africa and the peaceful transition in Sudan, while the Tehran project and the countries that follow suit are focused on undermining the stability of states, supporting terrorist organizations and armed militias, and creating chaos and instability in the region, from Lebanon to Iraq and Yemen, And even as far away as South America, or in the prince’s expression: “Wherever there were crises in a region, the Iranian regime was present.” For peace and stability in Yemen, which led to the collapse of civil society, chaos and lawlessness, and the tragedy of the people at the level of living conditions. Nevertheless, the Kingdom, along with international institutions and their international partners, is committed to the principle of restoring the legitimate government of Yemen, and seeking a peaceful solution to be negotiated. But the most important pillar of the kingdom in the midst of the Iranian chaos, with the support of the Houthi militia, is its security and stability, which is under constant and permanent threat, with more than three hundred missile attacks, except for future threats in the event that the Tehran regime is armed with nuclear weapons, passes its revolutionary agenda, its hostile behavior, and sponsors terrorism.

With regard to relations with the United States, despite what the prince described as turbulent atmospheres and headwinds, what remains constant – regardless of the variables of the domestic political situation in America – is partnership and cooperation, and the way forward to build a safer and more prosperous world.

The Saudi Foreign Minister, in his dialogue, was clear in drawing the features of the new Saudi Arabia that aims to bring about economic, social and cultural transformations, at a pace and scope unparalleled in modern history, through the National Transformation Initiative that the Saudi leadership made its first goal through the “Vision 2030” in which hundreds of investments Billions, with the aim of diversifying the economy and making Saudi Arabia the first regional engine for global economic growth, by creating technology economies and sustainable cities, transforming Saudi Arabia’s geographic and cultural diversity into a tourist attraction, and investing in Saudi people; Especially the new generation aspiring for a better future for both genders. Nevertheless, the minister stressed that this historic transformation of the new Saudi Arabia is not limited to the Saudis, even if they are a stone, but rather it will contribute to the prosperity of the region and the mobilization of its economies, as it is a promising model for development, and creating partnerships with neighboring countries and the world, away from areas of tension crowded with extremism competitions and crisis-care countries. And the race of ideologies to undermine stability, which has become the alliance of crises today and its basic agenda in targeting the Kingdom.

In his dialogue, which cannot be highlighted in all of this article, the minister touched on the Saudi-American alliance and its depth that goes beyond just one king or president. Because it is not partisan or political; It is about common interests. While the Minister was careful not to go into the domestic political sphere of the United States and the candidacy race; He stressed the importance of the strategic dialogue between the two countries, and the common issues that go beyond files linked to a time frame. Because it expresses the compatibility of regional policies, and the two countries ’view of a future-looking multilateral world. The minister also referred to an important issue, which is that the dialogue between the two countries is a strategic dialogue between the institutions, as it is linked to the relationship between the institutions of the two countries, and it expresses a long-term relationship that spanned more than seventy-five years, while allowing for the difference of views on specific issues that the Minister spoke about with transparency. Paramount; Especially human rights and regional files, and what was raised about Saudi policy, institutional and judicial reform, targeting campaigns, oil prices, expansion projects for Iran and its counterparts, and of course the shock of Corona and the Saudi experience in isolating it and limiting its economic impacts. The new Saudi Arabia – as the minister concluded – enjoys great flexibility in dealing with challenges and moving forward to the future.