Frankly Speaking: How close are we to a ‘historic’ US-Saudi deal?

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Updated 03 June 2024
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Frankly Speaking: How close are we to a ‘historic’ US-Saudi deal?

Frankly Speaking: How close are we to a ‘historic’ US-Saudi deal?
  • US ambassador to Saudi Arabia says potential agreement has the ability to fundamentally change the landscape of the Middle East for the better
  • Michael Ratney lauds Kingdom’s “extraordinary transformation” from empowerment of women and economic diversification to space exploration

DUBAI: Michael Ratney, the US ambassador to Saudi Arabia, has said that a “historic” security deal currently under negotiation between the two countries has the potential to fundamentally change the landscape of the Middle East for the better.

Appearing on the Arab News current-affairs show “Frankly Speaking,” Ratney was optimistic the deal would both clarify and cement the decades-old relationship — based at present on verbal agreements — between Saudi Arabia and the US.

“We overuse that word ‘historic’ but it would be a historic agreement and it could fundamentally change the landscape in the Middle East for the better,” he said.
“Political cooperation, security cooperation, economic integration.”

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken recently said the deal, which would see Saudi Arabia agreeing to normalize ties with Israel in exchange for closer US integration and recognition of a Palestinian state, could be just weeks away.

Despite the mutual enthusiasm for the deal, Ratney would not be drawn on the exact timeline for its conclusion, warning there were many moving parts, in particular the willingness of Israel to hold up its end of the bargain.

“I don’t think there’s anybody involved in these negotiations that wouldn’t like to have it finished tomorrow,” Ratney told Katie Jensen, the host of “Frankly Speaking.”

“But since all of that is a part of this agreement and these are extraordinarily complex and detailed discussions, I don’t think I could put a timeline for it.

“There ar also other elements of it including a US Senate role and obviously the situation in Israel weighs on this as well.

“So as much as we would like to get this done tomorrow, we are going to proceed as quickly as we can, as seriously as we can. And we’re going to get this done as soon as all of the pieces fall into place.”




Appearing on the Arab News current-affairs show “Frankly Speaking,” Ratney was optimistic a Saudi-US deal would both clarify and cement the decades-old relationship. (AN Photo)

What makes the deal so significant is that it clearly sets out the parameters of the Saudi-US relationship and safeguards them against the political whims and particularities of future US administrations, lending the partnership a degree of certainty.

“That’s why it’s an agreement that would involve US Senate ratification,” said Ratney. “US Senate ratification means it is a formal agreement that doesn’t depend on a particular administration.

“It would be an enduring agreement not between an administration or a government but between two countries. And in that, that brings certainty. It brings certainty to us. It would bring certainty to the Saudis as well.”

Commentators have drawn parallels between the proposed Saudi-US deal and the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between the US and Japan, signed in 1960. Asked whether these assessments were accurate, Ratney said he could not go into specifics.

“I’m really reluctant to get into those sorts of details,” he said. “Those are exactly the kinds of things that are subject to negotiations at the highest level of our government and the highest level of the Saudi government.”

He did, however, say the deal would include upgrades to the security partnership and economic relations, while also taking steps toward meeting Saudi Arabia’s demand for an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel.

“Let’s just say this would be a historic agreement that would upgrade the security partnership between the United States and Saudi Arabia. It would upgrade the economic relationship. It would bring Israel and Saudi Arabia essentially into the same region. And it would bring benefits and a path to statehood for the Palestinians.

“So, that’s a lot. It’s a complex set of discussions. And I’m really reluctant to get into the details of things, some of which are still yet to be negotiated.”

The success of the deal hinges to a significant degree on Israel’s cooperation. However, the government of Benjamin Netanyahu, which has two powerful far-right ministers, has been reluctant to give way on Palestinian statehood and end the war in Gaza.

Ratney, who previously served as a diplomat in Israel, said there was much to be gained for the region.




Michael Ratney, the US ambassador to Saudi Arabia, met with Editor-in-Chief Faisal J. Abbas and other Arab News journalists during a visit to the headquarters of the newspaper in Riyadh on May 30. (AN Photo)

“I would say all the elements that we have discussed are of extraordinary value. The real value is taking it all together,” he said.

“All of those elements that have been under discussion, all of the US-Saudi pieces and the Israel and the Palestinian pieces taken together could fundamentally change the landscape of this Middle East.

“And that is the lens through which we see it and it’s certainly the lens through which the US Senate sees it and they ultimately would have a vote to ratify it.”

However, US lawmakers have been reluctant to pressure Israel to accept a ceasefire in Gaza. Asked whether Washington’s decisions could radicalize a generation of Arab and Muslim youth and create a Hamas 2.0, Ratney said careful diplomacy was required to achieve a lasting peace.

“It’s impossible for anyone who watches these scenes on a daily basis, and it’s certainly impossible for anyone that knows friends and family who have been engulfed in this conflict, not to be moved by it, and not to be motivated to find a solution as soon as possible, to find an end to the violence in Gaza, to find an end to the threats to Israeli security, to find a path to statehood, so that this sort of, for Palestinians, to ensure that this sort of conflict doesn’t resume,” he said.

“The diplomacy involved with that is extraordinarily complex, and there’s areas that we pursue, and there’s positions that we take that sometimes aren’t popular, but they’re based on our sense of the most expeditious, the most effective way of pursuing it.”

Ratney was further challenged by Jensen, who asked him whether the whole world could be wrong on Israel and why the US appears reluctant to listen to its closest allies and apply firmer pressure on its ally.

In response he said: “I think it’s safe to say that both President Biden, Secretary Blinken, all of our senior officials, have been heavily involved. This has been a major preoccupation of theirs since the outbreak of violence on Oct. 7.

“They have been in the region steadily. Secretary Blinken has been here six times since October 7, our national security adviser as well. In almost every case, that involves visits to Israel as well, where they have, sometimes, very difficult and very direct conversations.

“We have an important relationship with Israel, we have an important partnership with Israel, and we utilize that relationship and partnership to find a decent end to this conflict.”

Saudi Arabia and the US had differences of opinion on regional issues after the Biden administration took office in 2020. However, after President Biden visited the Kingdom in 2022, the differences have made way for greater convergence of opinions.

Ratney, who has been ambassador to Saudi Arabia for a year, said the bilateral relationship was already better when he took up his posting, and that there was potential for even stronger ties.




Ratney, who previously served as a diplomat in Israel was speaking to Frankly Speaking’s Katie Jensen. (AN Photo)

“When I got here a little over a year ago, the relationship felt like it was in a good place. And I do think that’s the case. And I think over the last year, it has gotten better and better as our partnership has diversified, as we’ve delved into negotiations over a potential historical agreement between our countries.

“So, if I look ahead a year, two years, three years, what I’d like is that trajectory and the speed of that diversification and partnership to continue.”

Ratney said he has been impressed by the pace and scale of change in the Kingdom in recent years, particularly the empowerment of women — least of all the lifting of the ban on women driving.

“Women driving is really the tip of the iceberg,” he said. “The big change, the big innovation — and it has fundamentally changed the face of this country — is the fact that women are involved in every aspect of the economy, in every aspect of society.

“And that’s as simple as me going into meetings with senior government officials and seeing women are full participants in these discussions.

“And they’re not there as symbols. They’re highly educated, in many cases, as well-educated or better educated than their male counterparts, often at US universities. And it’s an extraordinary thing to see.”

Turning to areas of cooperation and opportunities between the US and Saudi Arabia, Ratney said there was now scope for trade and exchange in high technology and the creative industries.

“We work heavily with US companies that become intrigued by this market, to export to this market, to partner with Saudis here and invest here, and we see it in areas like not just healthcare, but infrastructure,” he said.

“Obviously, this country is making huge investments in infrastructure and US companies bring real value there. In high tech, Saudi Arabia has ambitions to become a hub for innovation and technological development.

“That in many ways is a US brand, and so US companies, whether Amazon or Google or others, are here, are interested, are involved, and are becoming partners with Saudis in those efforts.

“In the past, there was never much of a film industry here. Now we see US film and television companies interested in partnering with Saudi’s nascent film industry. That’s just extraordinary as well. So across the whole economy, we see opportunities for the US.”




Michael Ratney, the US ambassador to Saudi Arabia, was shown a special edition of Arab News by Editor-in-Chief Faisal J. Abbas during a visit to the headquarters of the newspaper in Riyadh on May 30. (AN Photo)

Some commentators have suggested that the US has lost business to China in the scramble for contracts in the Kingdom, particularly in relation to technology and communications.

“Are there competitors: Europeans, Chinese? Sure,” Ratney said. “But I have to say, where China might bring low price to the table, what the US brings is value and it brings innovation and it brings partnership, in a way that very few competitors can match.”
Another area of future cooperation is the space sector.

“To listen to the Saudi leadership talk about it, I think, quite rightly, a space sector, a commercial space sector, is becoming increasingly a normal part of any big healthy economy,” Ratney said.

“It was Axiom Space, a US company, that put two Saudi astronauts last year to the International Space Station — an air force pilot and a microbiologist. The Saudis clearly have further ambitions there as well, and we want to be a part of that.”

He added: “Space, commercial space in particular, is the future, and it is an extraordinarily lucrative and extraordinarily ambitious future.”

Although he is only a year into his posting as US ambassador to the Kingdom, Ratney is already looking ahead to the legacy he wants to leave.

“As Saudi’s ambitions expand, whether it’s expanding and reforming their educational sector, building a larger media sector, the space exploration that we talked about, building a high-tech industry, a whole range of areas where the US and Saudi are natural partners, I would like to see a few years from that for everybody to know about that and for Saudi to be succeeding in its ambitions and for the US to be seen as its number one partner as it does so.”

 


Levantine culture shines at Riyadh’s Bilad Al-Sham event

Levantine culture shines at Riyadh’s Bilad Al-Sham event
Updated 10 sec ago
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Levantine culture shines at Riyadh’s Bilad Al-Sham event

Levantine culture shines at Riyadh’s Bilad Al-Sham event
  • Bilad Al-Sham featured a variety of events, including folkloric performances, popular carnivals and musical evenings by Levantine artists

Riyadh: Bilad Al-Sham festivities in Riyadh have showcased Levantine heritage through a series of performances and concerts.

Held at Al-Suwaidi Park as part of Riyadh Season, the cultural experiences attracted a large number of visitors.

Bilad Al-Sham featured a variety of events, including folkloric performances, popular carnivals and musical evenings by Levantine artists, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Visitors also tasted Levantine cuisine and bought traditional clothing as well as handicrafts.

Bilad Al-Sham aimed to provide an enriching cultural experience for people of all ages, combining education and entertainment, the SPA reported.

By highlighting the traditions and culture of the Levant, the event embodied the spirit of coexistence and cultural diversity that Riyadh Season strives to promote.

More than 6 million people have visited Riyadh Season since it launched in October, the General Entertainment Authority said.

The areas contributing to the significant turnout include The Venue, Kingdom Arena, Boulevard City, Boulevard World, Riyadh Zoo, Al-Suwaidi Park and Wonder Garden, among others.


Waste not, want not: Misk Global Forum touts benefits of recycling to businesses and environment

Waste not, want not: Misk Global Forum touts benefits of recycling to businesses and environment
Updated 20 November 2024
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Waste not, want not: Misk Global Forum touts benefits of recycling to businesses and environment

Waste not, want not: Misk Global Forum touts benefits of recycling to businesses and environment
  • ‘Waste is the gold of the 21st century,’ says founder of pioneering initiative that transforms fish and ocean waste into sustainable textiles
  • Meanwhile, another project has worked with more than 200 farmers to plant 200,000 trees and regenerate 370 acres of land

RIYADH: The world’s economy is shifting towards a state in which sustainability and circularity will no longer be considered optional extras but the baseline for how we operate, experts said at the Misk Global Forum in Riyadh on Tuesday.

During a panel discussion titled “A Circular Revolution,” the participants explored ways in which waste materials can be reused or recycled to help achieve a circular economy that is beneficial to the environment while also generating profits.

“Waste is the gold of the 21st century,” said Moemen Sobh, the Egyptian founder and CEO of Visenleer, described as the first initiative of its kind in the Middle East and North Africa region, which transforms fish and ocean waste into sustainable textiles.

Noting that the fashion industry produces more greenhouse gas emissions than the oil and gas industries, he added: “By 2030, 50 percent of the gas emissions will be because of fashion.” Meanwhile, Egypt has a water deficit of 7 billion cubic meters a year and could run out of the vital resource as soon as 2025, UNICEF warned in 2021.

Sobh said his passion for finding sustainable solutions to these problem stems from his heritage as part of a northern Egyptian family descended from a long line of fishermen. So he decided to launch an initiative that buys fish waste that was being collected in plastic bags and dumped into freshwater sources, and instead use it to produce a more environmentally friendly alternative to animal and faux leather.

Through Visenleer, Sobh created the first sustainable fashion line in the region that uses only ocean waste to create its materials. He said the traditional tanning process for leather generates 90 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions produced by the fashion industry, so it was important for him to develop an alternative process that uses only glycerin, water and sunlight.

Electronic waste is another major environmental issue, and Alex Mativo, co-founder and CEO of Duck Analytics, spoke about the ways in which old devices can be transformed into products such as jewelry and fashion accessories.

He said he learned early on in his career that the circular economy means “turning something that is obsolete into something really beautiful.”

Mativo, who has been featured on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list, added that Duck Analytics uses data and artificial intelligence to help make the supply chains of global companies, such as Coca Cola and Red Bull, more efficient.

A circular economy, which is one based on the reuse and regeneration of materials or products, is beneficial both for businesses and the planet because it helps to reduce waste and generate profit, he said.

Louise Mabulo is the founder of the Cacao Project, an initiative that helps farmers build sustainable, resilient livelihoods through agroforestry, which involves the integration of trees and shrubs into crop and animal farming systems to create environmental, economic and social benefits for farmers and communities.

“Food systems account for 30 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions,” she said. The Cacao Project has worked with more than 200 farmers to plant almost 200,000 trees and regenerate more than 370 acres of land, she added. And that is not all.

“All of these farmers are being upskilled into businessmen and they are using agricultural waste; they are using cacao pods to make chocolate products and using that to create an income but also create economic benefits for themselves and for their communities, to protect them against storms and to provide better food,” Mabulo said.

As young innovators seek to develop sustainable solutions to environmental challenges, she said that “sometimes looking into the future requires looking back into the past.”

Rather than focusing only on new technologies, Mabulo added, knowledge of many solutions that can help solve the world’s problems already exists within communities.

“The key lies in unlocking them and finding innovative ways to marry ancestral knowledge or the resources we have with science, with facts, being able to communicate it well, and being able to talk to the communities in a language that they understand, and serve that gap.”


MoU signed to establish Saudi-Brazilian Coordination Council in Rio de Janeiro

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira sign the MoU in Rio de Janeiro.
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira sign the MoU in Rio de Janeiro.
Updated 19 November 2024
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MoU signed to establish Saudi-Brazilian Coordination Council in Rio de Janeiro

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira sign the MoU in Rio de Janeiro.
  • Kingdom’s foreign minister visited Brazil to attend the G20 Summit that ended on Tuesday
  • Prince Faisal and Vieira reviewed relations between their countries and ways to develop them

RIYADH: A memorandum of understanding to establish the Saudi-Brazilian Coordination Council was signed by the foreign ministers of both countries in Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday, Saudi Press Agency reported.

The agreement was signed during a meeting between Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan.

It is a “continuation of what was agreed upon between the leaderships of the two countries during the visit of the President of Brazil Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to the Kingdom on November 30, 2023,” SPA said.

The Kingdom’s foreign minister visited Brazil to attend the G20 Summit that ended on Tuesday.

Prince Faisal and Vieira reviewed relations between their countries and ways to develop them. They also discussed regional and international developments and efforts made in this regard.


Saudi entrepreneurs present expertise at Misk forum in Riyadh

Saudi entrepreneurs present expertise at Misk forum in Riyadh
Updated 19 November 2024
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Saudi entrepreneurs present expertise at Misk forum in Riyadh

Saudi entrepreneurs present expertise at Misk forum in Riyadh
  • Passion alone won’t build a business, says Prepline CEO Essa Behbehani

RIYADH: “If you don’t channel your passion for executing a business, then you simply have a hobby,” Essa Behbehani said at the Misk Global Forum on Tuesday.

The CEO of Prepline, a food and beverage investment and development company, made the statement during the panel discussion “Dream, Do, Dare: The Entrepreneur’s Cookbook,” which discussed core business skills, provided guidance on overcoming common startup challenges, and offered essential advice on scaling enterprises through funding.

"In a business, the most important factors are the product, resistance, and community approval." (AN photo by Huda Bashatah)

“Passion is one of the main elements you need to build a business on, but it is not the main element,” Behbehani said.

He outlined the four key roles in business success, saying: “You are either an investor, manager, developer, or craftsman. Each one needs the other element to succeed.”

HIGHLIGHTS

• The eighth Misk Global Forum, designed to encourage dialogue and exchange of ideas, is showcasing Misk Foundation’s dedication to engaging young minds.

• On Tuesday, Essa Behbehani and Abdullah Al-Saleem discussed core business skills, provided guidance on overcoming common startup challenges, and offered essential advice on scaling enterprises through funding.

Reflecting on the evolution of business fundamentals over two decades, Behbehani noted a significant shift, and added: “Back then, (around) 2003 to 2004, the most important elements in a business were the product, resistance, and community approval.”

"In a business, the most important factors are the product, resistance, and community approval." (AN photo by Huda Bashatah)

Behbehani noted that at that time, entrepreneurs like himself lacked marketing knowledge and did not have modern tools like social media to promote their businesses.

However, today’s business landscape demands different priorities, and he said: “These skill sets that you have need to be transferred into three main elements: You need to have a mindset, speed, and quality of product.

"In a business, the most important factors are the product, resistance, and community approval." (AN photo by Huda Bashatah)

“Mindset nowadays is everything — without a mindset, you can never grow a business.”

He cautioned current entrepreneurs about the limitations of focusing solely on product excellence, asking: “What are you going to do with an amazing product without the right mindset and the right speed to execute it?”

"In a business, the most important factors are the product, resistance, and community approval." (AN photo by Huda Bashatah)

During the same session, Abdullah Al-Saleem, the CEO and co-founder of Mushtari, a platform for business acquisition, shared valuable insights on when and how entrepreneurs should seek guidance for their ventures.

“Every time is the right time to seek help,” Al-Saleem said, highlighting the importance of continuous learning and consultation in business development.

He advocated for a two-pronged approach to seeking advice, distinguishing between general business consultants and industry-specific experts.

He added: “There are two people you have to seek help from: People that know generally about the industry, and people that know specifically about the industry.”

Using the restaurant business as an example, Al-Saleem described how he would consult general business experts for fundamentals like “hiring, culture, (and) cash flow,” while seeking industry-specific guidance for specialized operations.

However, gathering advice, he said, was just the first step. He noted that it was crucial to ensure team involvement in implementing recommendations.

He said: “When I take all these ideas or all these bits of advice, I brainstorm it with the team.”

This collaborative approach ensured that potential solutions were thoroughly evaluated before implementation, he said.

Al-Saleem further emphasized the importance of practical application through trial and error, and he always involved his team in the process.

He added: “They are the engine of the business and without the team, there is no business.”

 


Saudi Arabia, China, Iran meet to advance Beijing Agreement

Saudi Arabia, China, Iran meet to advance Beijing Agreement
Updated 19 November 2024
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Saudi Arabia, China, Iran meet to advance Beijing Agreement

Saudi Arabia, China, Iran meet to advance Beijing Agreement
  • Efforts focus on regional stability, economic collaboration

RIYADH: The second meeting of the Saudi-Chinese-Iranian Joint Tripartite Committee to follow up on the Beijing Agreement was held in Riyadh on Tuesday, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed bin Abdulkarim Elkhereiji chaired the meeting, with Vice Foreign Minister of China Deng Li and Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Majid Takht Ravanchi present.

The Saudi and Iranian representatives reaffirmed their commitment to fully implementing the Beijing Agreement and strengthening neighborly relations through adherence to the UN Charter, the Charter of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and international law, emphasizing respect for sovereignty, independence, and security.

Saudi Arabia and Iran also welcomed China’s ongoing positive role and emphasized the importance of its support in following up on the Beijing Agreement’s implementation. China reiterated its readiness to encourage further steps by both nations to enhance their relationship in various fields.

The three countries praised the progress in Saudi-Iranian relations, highlighting the significance of direct communication at all levels and the opportunities for mutual cooperation amid regional tensions that threatened global and regional security.

They noted the progress in consular services, enabling over 87,000 Iranian pilgrims to perform Hajj and more than 52,000 to perform Umrah securely in 2024.

They also welcomed the first meeting of the Saudi-Iranian Joint Media Committee and the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Prince Saud Al-Faisal Institute for Diplomatic Studies and Iran’s Institute for Political and International Studies.

Saudi Arabia and Iran expressed their readiness to sign a double taxation avoidance agreement and, along with China, looked forward to expanding economic and political cooperation.

The three nations called for an immediate end to Israeli aggression in Palestine and Lebanon, and condemned violations of Iran’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

They stressed the need for uninterrupted humanitarian aid to Palestine and Lebanon and warned that continued violence posed serious threats to regional and global security, including maritime safety.

They also reaffirmed their support for a comprehensive political solution in Yemen, in line with internationally recognized principles under UN auspices.