The old alliances crumble. Now Riyadh is looking for new partners among the countries bordering the Red sea. The political and economic differences are large. The Initiative is also a message to Riad’s previous Partner.
Saudi Arabia’s foreign Minister, Adel al-Jubeir welcomed his counterparts from Partners of the Red sea
Saudi Arabia stretches out his hands, and although in a political, albeit in a rather unusual direction: to the West and southwest. Djibouti, Somalia, Sudan, the the new interlocutor of the state leadership in Riyadh. Also with the government of the southern neighbour Yemen, where it leads for three and a half years, a military Intervention against the militants of the Houthis, the Saudi politician’s now set to the table.
With a total of six States of Saudi Arabia wants to call an Alliance with the Central concerns of the co-operation around the Red sea. In addition to the new partners, you should also include two States, with which Riyadh has already been working closely together, namely, Egypt and Jordan. All of these countries, except Jordan, the borders of the Red sea.
“This is part of the activities with which the Kingdom wants its interests and those of his neighbors protect,” said the Saudi Minister, Adel al-Jubeir outer on Wednesday the Initiative. “It’s about stabilizing the Region in which we live, and to create synergies between the different countries.” The logic of the Initiative is for the Minister of foreign Affairs: “The more cooperation there is, the less negative influence from outside the Region will act.”
Breaks in the Gulf region
The Initiative comes at a time in which Saudi Arabia’s substantial foreign policy challenges. The UK-led Intervention in Yemen is internationally strong in the criticism. Most recently, she has impacted the relationship with the United States. In addition, alienated the two countries through the affair by the Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who had been killed in the Istanbul Consulate of the Kingdom.
Saudi Arabia Dating: This country is meant to be
Also in the vicinity, it crunches. Long in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Kuwait, Bahrain, and until a few months ago, yet Qatar was interested in the Saudi leadership, especially for the Northern and Eastern neighbors of the Kingdom:. These were the countries with which you worked in Riyadh, with whom you agreed on crude oil prices and laid down the General political course of the Arab Peninsula.
To kidney the political instruments of this coordinating policy belonged to a founded in 1960, the “organization of the petroleum exporting countries” (OPEC), which included also support States in other regions of the world; and on the other the Gulf cooperation Council (GOC), in 1981, launched in the face of the Islamic Revolution in Iran, on the other side of the Persian Gulf.
Difficult relationship with Qatar, and the United States
But a few weeks ago, Qatar, Saudi Arabia for one and a half years, a sharp Boycott imposed left the OPEC. In addition, it said its participation in a GOC Meeting at the beginning of the week in Saudi Arabia. The leadership in Riyadh had invited Qatar to participate there, but you couldn’t decide to make a commitment. Although all member States of the GOC are connected by the defensive struggle against Jihadism, by the you will see together will be challenged. However, this concern holds together the Alliance is becoming less and less.
In particular, but you are concern in Riyadh, the relationship to the United States, says Sebastian Sons, a Saudi Arabia expert at the German society for Foreign policy (DGAP). Basically from the Saudi Arabian side was emphasized, although how close and trusting the relationship to Americans – an assessment, especially on joint opposition to Iran reasons. “But this common enemy glossed over in a way only the problems. Indeed, Saudi has hoped for Arabia by Donald Trump more” Sons in an interview with DW. “So, you had just adopted in the Qatar crisis, to be able to much more on Trump count, as it was the case.”
Close partners: the Saudi crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (li.) and Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi (re.)
The Alliance combines strong and weak partners,
Similar to the political analyst Ghassan al-Attiyah, Director of the “Iraqi Institute for Development and Democracy sees it”. Saudi Arabia had to rely on the new covenants urgently. The proposed Alliance with the littoral States of the Red sea serving. “It connects the economically powerful Saudi Arabia, with the politically strong Egypt.” This Alliance has proved itself from the point of view of both countries in the joint Intervention in Yemen – connect two influential States in the Region, Al-Attiyah in the DW-Interview. The role of the other in the Alliance are active States, by contrast, was modest: “they are all politically and economically weak.”
The purpose of the Alliance, not least in the message to go out from her, suspected Al-Attiyah: “Saudi Arabia wants to show the West and America, that it has Alternatives, and not solely on his former Partner will have to leave.”
Saudi Arabia track especially is a concern, the Saudi Journalist and political scientist, Ahmed Adnan: You have in the Riad the impression, yet not sufficiently to potential partners in the West, promoted. The Red sea is a Central water street of the world – with his extended Arm, the Suez canal, it is crossed every day by tankers, with a total of 3.2 million barrels of oil. “Strategically, politically and from a security standpoint, the Red sea is a matter of the highest importance for the Kingdom,” Adnan in an interview with DW.
The Role Of Israel
However, says political scientist Al-Attiyah, lacked a state in the new Alliance: Israel, which is connected by the Gulf of Aqaba with the Red sea. In Israel, the main beneficiaries of the conflicts within the Arab world, as well as between Saudi Arabia and Iran. “In addition, many of the Arabs of Israel feel close to, because it is also in opposition to Iran.”
If it were possible to win in Israel for the Alliance, would win their political weight is enormous, says al-Attiyah. But still, it was not so far. A total of Inge corresponding to the new Alliance, anyway, especially, apparently, the new confusion in the Region: “The Arab world is currently in turmoil and disarray. The Gulf States are weaker. I doubt, however, that the Alliance can close the gap.”
The Suez canal is considered to be the most important artificial waterway in the world