Saudi Arabia, in the new scales of power

Over the past two decades, US policy has taken advantage of many international events to twist the arms of Gulf states, especially Saudi Arabia.

Therefore, concerns such as financing terrorism, restricting freedoms, torture and assassinations were ready to be used by the US administration whenever it pleased. These are certainly provocative accusations, which were promoted at the beginning by the Barack Obama administration, portraying traitors as heroes and describing them as political or human rights activists, and so on.

The international media, which unfortunately was followed by some ideological Arab platforms, was also harnessed to politically distort the image of Saudi Arabia as a prelude to intervening at another stage after creating a rift between the leadership and the Saudi citizen and between the Kingdom and its allies.

To reach this goal, the West pushed many writers and advocates, using various enticements, to criticize Saudi policy. They criticize under the theme of protecting the religion, identity and history, all of which are excuses chosen by some US administrations at the time they deem fit to serve their goals.

Sometimes it interferes in the name of freedom and openness, while other times, in the name of preserving (the Kingdom’s) identity, to appear in more than one face, using a policy of double standards.

This means that the time has come to understand what is happening based on the new global realities, including the Russian-Ukrainian war and the great powers’ struggle.

There is a different international situation taking shape, in which America will lose its decades-old leadership in the world.

Recent events confirm this fact. The US has no place in the new world, whose features are beginning to take shape. This was proven by its inability to intervene in the Russian-Ukrainian war, and its failure to stop the continuous rise of countries in the Far East, led by China.

In addition, we have the growing Arab awareness movement, where we are witnessing Arabs reconsider many of their positions toward neighboring countries, especially the issue of normalization and the continuous economic and development successes achieved by Gulf countries.

These countries have become among the most attractive places for expatriates, investors and influencers worldwide. International data reveal a growing interest in this geopolitical region, which is rich in its wealth and natural resources.

Being a strategic country in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia is well aware of the challenges and dangers surrounding it and manages crises with wisdom and insight under the leadership of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The time has come to understand what is happening based on the new global realities, including the Russian-Ukrainian war and the great powers’ struggle.

Fares Al-Ghannami

This distinguished leadership of Saudi Arabia confirms many proofs. The truce in Yemen, which came as the culmination of the Saudi initiative, is a clear message to the world that this country can create balance at the time of its choosing — instead of under the pressure that great powers want to impose while hiding behind the slogans of freedom and the illusions of human rights, as they try to break up brothers and sow strife among them.

Saudi Arabia’s efforts to contain crises and prevent wars and conflicts are certainly countless. Still, they are not brought to light because the eye of the envious sees nothing but ugliness.

It goes as far as seeing ugliness in beauty. Who could be blinder than the eye of ideology filled with prejudices, misconceptions and mistrust of others, judges before it sees, and says before it thinks?

It is clear today, in light of the profound changes the world is witnessing at the level of major economic and military balances, that the priority of work in our Arab region should focus on preserving national sovereignty and building a local and regional economy that is not affected by wars and is resistant to global crises.

This requires avoiding marginal conflicts with neighboring countries and establishing bridges of communication and cooperation with new emerging powers.

When we recall the recent attacks on Saudi Arabia and some Gulf countries, we clearly see that our Arab region is being directly targeted to cause chaos and destruction.

This understanding is confirmed by the frenzied campaign launched by the Joe Biden administration through interfering in Saudi internal issues, especially the issue of arrests, prisons and freedoms.

Other events also exposed the falsity of US policy and revealed a malicious slyness. It is a policy that aims to sow discord and hate between countries and brothers and legitimize the presence of the Taliban in Afghanistan under the pretext of the sudden void left by the American withdrawal — as well as the presence of the Houthi militia in Yemen, and the desperation of not placing these extremist movements on the list of terrorists.

There are also other negative effects of the American intervention in many regions and countries, which confirms that the American administration is a factory for producing crises and conflicts around the world.

Although everyone knows the extent of this increasing American malice and the spread of its stench throughout the world, the American policy stands brazenly at every event to express its position in innocence. It presents itself in the image of a pure angel, even though it is a devious devil.

In view of the fall of the US administration and the rise of Eastern countries, the talk about Saudi Arabia’s leadership may provoke the envy of many. Perhaps I will just point out one event that may break the back of the rivals. The statements of the Saudi and Emirati enery ministers at the “World Government Summit” in Dubai proved that the matter is related to fully sovereign countries with wise, responsible, courageous and honest leaders.

Nevertheless, no one wants to admit it, and perhaps it is due to the buried hatred for the Arabian Gulf that begrudges these blessings that God has bestowed on them. As the saying goes: “There is hope in eradicating all kinds of hatred, except the one stemming from envy.”

• Fares Al-Ghannami is a Saudi writer and intellectual interested in political affairs. Twitter: @farescom200