Saudi Arabia Is Becoming More And More Important To Biden

(ConservativeSense.com) – President Biden will foster closer ties with Saudi Arabia in the latter stages of his Presidential campaign, analysts say. Saudi Arabia is changing its international strategy and building relations with world powers and US rivals, specifically China and Russia, and several experts note that Biden must pursue friendly relations to ensure its relationship with the kingdom continues to serve American interests. Mohammed Alhamed, a Saudi geopolitical analyst, says that Saudi-US cooperation is ever more critical, given current Middle East instability and Saudi’s improved relationship with Israel.

Experts note that Donald Trump enjoyed positive interactions with the Islamic kingdom, but Biden’s approach has been colder, and China has taken advantage. In 2022, for instance, Chinese Premier Xi Jinping visited Riyadh for the first Chinese-Arab Summit and described the meeting as “the highest-level diplomatic event” since the foundation of the People’s Republic of China.

Moreover, last December, Russian President Vladimir Putin held a high-level meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to discuss oil price cooperation. Kristina Kausch, an expert on Saudi international relations, says the kingdom is increasing and improving its global associations as part of a new “Saudi First” approach, which has prompted unwillingness to rely heavily on a single international partner, including the United States. Kausch believes the Crown Prince regards an equally positive relationship with the US and China as being in his country’s best interests.

Saudi journalist Abdulaziz al-Khamis warns that the US could be significantly weakened on the world stage, particularly in the Middle East, if it fails to improve relations with Saudi Arabia. He said America’s approach will impact the extent of Russian and Chinese influence in the region and significantly affect the global energy market.

Meanwhile, reports from Washington suggest that the Biden administration is on the cusp of ending weapons sales embargoes on the Saudi kingdom. President Biden halted the sale of some munitions to Saudi in 2021 in response to its military action in Yemen.