Building strong Saudi-Japan ties

On April 30, 2013, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will pay a visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The visit could not come at a more opportune time given the many geopolitical issues that the Gulf region faces and the rising role of East Asian countries in the GCC’s overall foreign policy calculations. For the Gulf as a whole and for Saudi Arabia in particular, ties with Japan need to be elevated to a higher strategic level.
At the outset, it is important to stress that Saudi Arabia and Japan have had a long historical relationship that in fact dates to the late 1930s when an envoy of King Abdulaziz paid a visit to Japan on the occasion of the inauguration of the Tokyo Mosque, a visit that was reciprocated by a Japanese envoy a year later. By 1955, the two countries had formally established diplomatic relations. Thus, one can already look back to more than half a century of official and strong relations. During all those years, relations have been smooth and have experienced no disruptions. Visits of leaders and senior officials of both nations take place on a regular basis and relations are based on mutual trust. Saudi Arabia and Japan are no strangers to each other.
The Kingdom has always valued its friendship with Japan. It should be remembered that Japan was excluded by the Arab states from the oil embargo of the 1970s. More recently, Saudi Arabia acted immediately to provide replacements to Japan to meet its energy requirements following the sanctions on Iran. Such actions do not occur in a vacuum but are part and parcel of an understanding about the value of relations on both sides.
Naturally, mutual interests, trade and energy form the basis for bilateral ties. Saudi Arabia is the second largest export market for Japanese goods in the Gulf region and the first in terms of exports from the Gulf to Japan. Out of more than $ 150 billion in total trade between the GCC and Japan in 2012, more than one-third, or approximately $ 55 billion was accounted for by trade between Saudi Arabia and Japan. That is higher than the Kingdom’s trade with any other Asian nation including China, India and South Korea. Under the new economic growth policies of Prime Minister Abe, also known as Abeonomics, the expectation is that this trade volume will witness further increases in the near future.
But while trade and energy lie at the heart of Saudi-Japan relations, there is the need to go beyond the current framework of ties to introduce a higher level of strategic thinking. Viewed from the Kingdom, Japan is a key country in Asia that will play an even more important role as the Asia-Pacific area becomes the strategic region of the 21st century. At the same time, the issues defining peace and security in the Gulf region remain critical for the overall future of Japan, meaning that Japan has a clear interest in engaging in dialogue about how to maintain and strengthen the Gulf’s stability. From both these angles, therefore, there is a need for closer and more constant political coordination that can produce tangible benefits for Saudi Arabia and Japan.
There are several issues that come to mind. One specific area of cooperation is related to maritime security. Here, the energy futures of the Gulf region and of Japan and the rest of Asia are closely linked. While Japan is dependent on the free movement of vessels and the protection of sea lanes for assured and secure energy supplies, the Gulf region views the destination areas of East Asia as critical for its own security of demand. As a result, energy issues between Japan and the Gulf represent two sides of the same coin. This therefore translates into the need for cooperation against piracy and the sharing of information when it comes to maritime threats. A more specific area of Japanese involvement could be to assist with minesweeping services in the waters of the Gulf given the impact that mines have already had on disrupting exports from the Gulf region during the devastating Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s. Nobody wants such a situation to be repeated. As such, cooperation at the naval level also needs more attention.
On regional issues, Saudi Arabia is appreciative of Japanese support for the Friends of Syria process and is looking for close continued coordination on this issue. On Iran, there is a need for Japan to stress the fact that resolving the issue of the Iranian nuclear program is an international responsibility that cannot be left to the region itself. The current situation with North Korea also underlines the need for a similar perspective. And as the United States makes its so-called ‘pivot’ to the Asia-Pacific region, both Saudi Arabia and Japan have to work with the United States to ensure that such a shift becomes a win-win situation for all of them. The stakes are huge but they need to be handled in the right manner.
Turning to economics, there are specific opportunities for Japan in the Kingdom. One area is civilian nuclear technology where Japan, in spite of the terrible and unprecedented tragedy of the Fukushima nuclear disaster, continues to have the strongest safety record based on practical experience. Given Saudi Arabia’s growth, a diversified energy base that includes hydrocarbons, nuclear, and renewables is essential and unavoidable. In all three areas, as well as the provision of clean energy technology and water resource development, Japan can play a key role. Saudi Arabia further offers numerous investment opportunities for Japan due to expansion in key areas such as the transport sector, information technology and communication, and infrastructure. Cyber security is another area that could be considered. In all these areas, Japan has tremendous competence making the country a sought-after partner. This potential now needs to be realized.
Finally, more effort can be made on the cultural and social front in order to maintain the people-to-people contact that forms the basis of any solid relationship. With more than 400 Saudi students already studying in Japan, a first important step has been taken but more can still be done. Equally, the inter-faith dialogue spearheaded by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah can be broadened with Japan’s inclusion.
Japan-Saudi Arabia relations are deep, historical and wide-ranging. With the current shifts and transformation occurring in the Middle East as well as the continued rise of Asia in the 21st century, relations between the two sides are more important than ever. In that context, the visit of the Japanese prime minister to Saudi Arabia is an important milestone that will open up opportunities that need to be taken advantage of.