Close Menu
    Facebook Instagram LinkedIn
    • العربية (Arabic)
    • English
    • Français (French)
    Facebook Instagram LinkedIn
    Middle East Transparent
    • Home
    • Categories
      1. Headlines
      2. Features
      3. Commentary
      4. Magazine
      Featured
      Headlines Hanin Ghaddar and Ehud Yaari

      Disarming Palestinian Factions in Lebanon Means Disarming Hezbollah

      Recent
      21 May 2025

      Disarming Palestinian Factions in Lebanon Means Disarming Hezbollah

      13 May 2025

      The Pope and the Vatican: Divine Right or Male Monopoly? Elderly Men Excluding Women and Youth in the Name of Heaven

      11 May 2025

      Leo is America’s first pope. His worldview appears at odds with ‘America First.’

    • Contact us
    • Archives
    • Subscribe
    • العربية (Arabic)
    • English
    • Français (French)
    Middle East Transparent
    You are at:Home»Categories»Headlines»A red carpet roll-out in Riyadh for a Russian leader

    A red carpet roll-out in Riyadh for a Russian leader

    0
    By BBC on 16 October 2019 Headlines

    Putin never goes on state visits unless major things are happening.

     

    This week has seen a full ceremonial 21-gun salute for President Vladimir Putin in the capital, an audience with the king and crown prince.

    President Putin has made a rare but much publicized visit to Saudi Arabia – his first in 12 years – accompanied by a sizable delegation of trade, security and defense officials. Bilateral deals worth more than $2 bn (£1.6 bn) and more than 20 agreements have been announced.

    The Saudis have also invited Russia to participate in the ongoing international investigation into the 14 September drone and missile attacks on Saudi oil facilities.

    Defense discussions have included the possible purchase and future deployment of Russia’s formidable S-400 air defence missile system, which would be something of a diplomatic blow to Washington.

    Bilateral trade deals between Riyadh and Moscow have been accelerating since a June 2018 agreement and recent co-operation to restrain global oil supplies to keep prices buoyant.

    Announcements by RDIF, Russia’s Direct Investment Fund, to coincide with President Putin’s visit include:

    Russian President Vladimir Putin presents a gift made of mammoth tusk to Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as head of the Chechen Republic Ramzan Kadyrov looks on in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, October 14, 2019.

    A deal with Saudi state oil company Saudi Aramco to acquire a 30% Saudi share in Novomet, a Russian oil equipment supplier
    A $600m deal for Saudi Arabia to invest in Russian aircraft leasing business
    Possible co-operation between Russia’s Gazprom and Saudi firms on natural gas.

    Why are ties growing?

    Put bluntly, the Saudis no longer trust the US and the West as much as they used to. but recent events in the Middle East have triggered a major rethink in Saudi court circles.

    The first big shock came with the Arab Spring protests of 2011. The Saudis – and other Gulf Arab monarchies – were appalled at the speed with which the West dumped its long-time ally, President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt.

    By contrast, they couldn’t help noticing that Moscow stood by its beleaguered Middle East partner, Syria’s President Bashar Al-Assad.

    The next shock came with President Barack Obama’s support for the Iran nuclear deal in 2015, which left the Saudis feeling deeply uncomfortable. They suspected, rightly, that the Obama White House was losing interest in the region.

    When the newly elected President Donald Trump chose Riyadh for his first overseas presidential visit in 2017 the Saudis were ecstatic. Relations with Washington appeared back on track and billions of dollars’ worth of deals were announced.

    But then came the murder by Saudi government agents of the Saudi journalist Jamal Kashoggi in October 2018 which resulted in massive condemnation in the world’s free press.

    Suspicious of his involvement, Western leaders started to give Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman a wide berth, at least in public. At the G20 summit in Buenos Aires the following month he was largely shunned.

    By contrast, President Putin high-fived him.

    Although President Trump has lobbied in favour of good relations with the Saudi leadership, Saudi officials are still dismayed by his unpredictable and quixotic approach to the region.

    Eight years on from the outbreak of the Syrian civil war and Russia has successfully helped save Assad’s regime, showcasing its latest military hardware while simultaneously establishing a strategic foothold in the region.

    America under President Trump despite rushing extra troops to shore up Saudi Arabia’s air defenses after the equipment it had sold the Saudis failed to prevent the catastrophic attack on 14 September.(twenty-five  Irani drones and missiles were used in  the attack of Saudi oil facilities — which took out 5.7 million barrels per day of crude.)

    Bottom line: the Saudis and their Gulf Arab allies are looking to diversify their partnerships away from a heavy dependence on the West.

    This is to hedge against any future upsets, be they incoming missile attacks they blame on Iran (which could in future risk killing Russian technicians) or diplomatic upsets like the Kashoggi incident.

    What’s next?

    All of this needs to be seen in perspective.

    Saudi Arabia’s prime security partner has been, and continues to be, the United States. This dates back to 1945 when President Roosevelt met Saudi King Abdulaziz onboard a US warship.

    Over the ensuing years the Saudis guaranteed to keep the oil flowing, America promised them a security umbrella. That pact, while somewhat frayed at the edges, remains.

     

    The US military has substantial bases in all six Gulf Arab countries. The nuclear-capable US Navy’s 5th Fleet, headquartered in Bahrain, remains the most potent navy in the region. When Mr Trump came to Riyadh, more than $300 bn worth of deals were announced; when Putin came this week, it was $2 bn.

    But there is no question that the tectonic plates of alliances in the Middle East are shifting and diversifying. Expect to see more visits by Russian and Chinese delegates to Riyadh.

    America still has a prime seat at the Saudi table, but there are rather more guests sitting round it now.

     

    BBC (adapted)

    Share. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email WhatsApp Copy Link
    Previous Articleماذا علمتنا “مجزرة تشرين” العراقية؟
    Next Article الأكراد الخاسرون الدائمون في لعبة الأمم
    Subscribe
    Notify of
    guest

    guest

    0 Comments
    Newest
    Oldest Most Voted
    Inline Feedbacks
    View all comments
    RSS Recent post in french
    • Dima de Clerck, historienne : « Au Liban, il règne aujourd’hui une guerre civile sourde » 17 May 2025 Laure Stephan
    • Les bonnes affaires du président au Moyen-Orient 17 May 2025 Georges Malbrunot
    • La stratégie séparatiste des Emirats arabes unis 16 May 2025 Jean-Pierre Filiu
    • Les premiers secrets de l’élection de Léon XIV 13 May 2025 Jean-Marie Guénois
    • Al-Charaa en visite à Paris : « Les Européens se laissent berner parce qu’ils prennent leurs rêves pour des réalités » 8 May 2025 Hughes Maillot
    RSS Recent post in arabic
    • مُرَشَّح مُتَّهَم بالفساد لرئاسة بلدية “العاقورة”! 21 May 2025 خاص بالشفاف
    • فضل شاكر.. التقاء الخطَّين المتوازيين 20 May 2025 عمر حرقوص
    • الغطاء الديني لتجارة الجنس: كواليس “زواج المتعة” في إيران 19 May 2025 إيران إنترناشينال
    • إسرائيل تعلن الاستحواذ على “الأرشيف السوري الرسمي” الخاص بإيلي كوهين 18 May 2025 أ ف ب
    • نعيم قاسم… اعتذِر من الكويت 18 May 2025 علي الرز
    26 February 2011

    Metransparent Preliminary Black List of Qaddafi’s Financial Aides Outside Libya

    6 December 2008

    Interview with Prof Hafiz Mohammad Saeed

    7 July 2009

    The messy state of the Hindu temples in Pakistan

    27 July 2009

    Sayed Mahmoud El Qemany Apeal to the World Conscience

    8 March 2022

    Russian Orthodox priests call for immediate end to war in Ukraine

    Recent Comments
    • Edward Ziadeh on As Church awaits a Conclave, President Trump puts up picture of himself as next Pope
    • Victoria Perea on As Church awaits a Conclave, President Trump puts up picture of himself as next Pope
    • Victoria Perea on As Church awaits a Conclave, President Trump puts up picture of himself as next Pope
    • M sam on Kuwait: The Gulf state purging tens of thousands of its citizens
    • Aadam Peer on How important is the Dome of the Rock in Islam?
    Donate
    Donate
    © 2025 Middle East Transparent

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

    loader

    Inscrivez-vous à la newsletter

    En vous inscrivant, vous acceptez nos conditions et notre politique de confidentialité.

    loader

    Subscribe to updates

    By signing up, you agree to our terms privacy policy agreement.

    loader

    اشترك في التحديثات

    بالتسجيل، فإنك توافق على شروطنا واتفاقية سياسة الخصوصية الخاصة بنا.

    wpDiscuz