Becoming myself. Hundreds of Houthi prisoners, 16 Saudis freed on day two of swap The Arab spring proved such thinking facile. Yet the Saudis demands undercut those lofty arguments. President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine implored Arab leaders meeting in Saudi Arabia This process, however, will face significant obstacles. As a result of the talks, Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed to resume diplomatic relations and reopen embassies within two months, Irans state news agency Irna reported, citing a joint statement. Exclusive news, data and analytics for financial market professionals, Reporting by Khalid Abdelaziz Saudi Arabia How Sudan Became a Saudi-UAE Proxy War - Foreign Policy The fighting broke out in mid-April. A government source told Reuters that Germany would not decide the issue during this legislative term, which ends in 2025. Scholz: Germany won't deliver Eurofighters to Saudi Arabia in near Britain's BAE Systems (BAES.L) struck a deal five years ago for the arms maker to supply 48 of the jets in question, but a third of the components for the jets come from Germany. Help. 2023 in Saudi Arabia - Wikipedia In the wake of the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Joe Biden, as a presidential candidate in 2019, labelled Saudi Arabia a pariah.[iii] The Biden administration, however, has found it difficult to maintain an ideological stance and will likely be forced to adopt a more Realpolitik approach in light of the need to counter adversaries such as Russia in the context of the war in Ukraine. All rights reserved. 15 mins. If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. Israel has a hard-right government. During its first 72 years as a state, Israel established official ties with only two Arab countries: Egypt and Jordan. The images of hundreds of prisoners embracing their families after being exchanged between the Houthis and the Saudi-backed internationally recognized government of Yemen were striking. Wikimedia Commons has media related to Wars of the Arabian Kingdom. In the wake of the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Joe Biden, as a presidential candidate in 2019, labelled Saudi Arabia a pariah. Though the accords remain intact, the public ardour of Israels new Arab friends has cooled. Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the ruler of Qatar which openly opposes normalizing relations with Syria left the summit on Friday without speaking, in what appeared to be a protest against Mr. al-Assads presence. Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, 2023 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. The UN estimated that by the start of 2022, the conflict in Yemen had caused over 377,000 deaths, with 60% the result of hunger, lack of healthcare and unsafe water. Truce Providing Serious Opportunity for Ending Yemens Long Knowing that Biden would request an increase in oil production to lower international prices, MBS put Saudi Arabias national interests above those of the United States.[ix]. By Vivian Nereim. And that is a reality that we will have to deal with. That is why instead of peace, a Houthi-Saudi deal is more likely to lead to the further institutionalization of Houthi power and the entrenchment of a fragmented and conflicted Yemen. Decades of awful, authoritarian governance plunged the Middle East into violent upheaval, with Israel playing hardly any role in it. Addressing an Arab League summit in Saudi Arabia, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine urged Arab nations to stand with him against Russia and called out their reluctance to take sides in the war. The most comprehensive solution to manage all your complex and ever-expanding tax and compliance needs. It suggests a UN-supervised ceasefire between Yemen's Saudi-backed For decades, many Western diplomats saw the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as the regions main problem. In public, Saudi officials are still coy about normalisation. Israel has a hard-right government. Mr. al-Assad appeared to receive a warm welcome on Friday, when Saudi state television showed Prince Mohammed greeting him with kisses on the cheek. The Issue. Clashes could be heard overnight and on Sunday in the capital Khartoum, residents said, while human rights monitors reported deadly fighting in El Fashir, one of the principal cities in the western region of Darfur. War Mr. Zelenskys appearance also swiftly sucked attention away from the gatherings most controversial guest, Mr. al-Assad. In a desperate attempt to shore up government forces, in April 2022 Saudi Arabia steered the creation of a Presidential Leadership Council, a body bringing together a wide range of Saudi and Emirati-backed factions united only by their opposition to the Houthis. Instead, Saudi Arabia is trying to manage the outcome of its failed war against the Houthis. Hosted by Sabrina Tavernise. As a shaky truce signed last week is set to expire, Sudanese civilians worry fighting between the army and a rival paramilitary force will intensify. A photograph released by Kuwaiti state media shows the summit on Friday. Instead, Saudi Arabia is trying to manage the outcome of its failed war against the Houthis. Browse an unrivalled portfolio of real-time and historical market data and insights from worldwide sources and experts. However, the deal will cause concern among many Israeli politicians who have sought global isolation for its arch-enemy Iran. The war has killed tens of thousands of people and left millions hungry. Saudi Arabia Mr. Zelensky made a surprise visit to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to attend the annual Arab League summit, where he addressed countries that have maintained warm relations with Russia. Published On 21 Mar 2023 21 Mar it is unclear whether the same will happen in war-scarred Yemen. Salman of Saudi Arabia It also urged Sudans military government and the rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to continue negotiations to reach an agreement on extending the ceasefire. With Lisa Chow. It is important to understand what the formalization and consolidation of the Houthi take-over in northwest Yemen would mean, and how this would not be conducive to stable peace-making. Saudi Arabia supported the Syrian opposition, but ties have thawed in recent months. The flurry of diplomacy underlines Prince Mohammeds efforts to cement the kingdoms position as a rising power, forging greater independence from the United States, its longtime security guarantor. By early 2023, the Houthis had consolidated their status as the most powerful actor in Yemen. What matters more is the relative alignment of their interests, and here the answer is clearer. The deal could, however, have implications for a US-led effort to isolate Iran economically through sanctions. In March, the Saudi government announced it would re-establish diplomatic relations with its longtime rival, Iran, and this month Saudi officials hosted talks between warring parties in Sudan. While imperfect, an extension nonetheless will facilitate the delivery of urgently needed humanitarian assistance to the Sudanese people, the statement said. Saudi Arabia Such talk has cooled since December, though, when Binyamin Netanyahu returned to power in Israel. The most important thing is to leave the internal issues to their people, as they are able to manage their issues, he said. Last modified on Mon 10 Apr 2023 12.53 EDT Saudi Arabia has persuaded the key players in the Yemeni coalition government to go along with a minimum eight-month All quotes delayed a minimum of 15 minutes. Also welcoming the talks in Sanaa, he commended the role played by Saudi Arabia and Oman, and called on the Houthis to engage in good faith. 3 min read. Download coordinates as: President Biden said there would be consequences for Saudi Arabia over its OPEC+ decision,[x] and Democratic lawmakers, who have often zeroed in on Saudi human rights abuses, have called for a freeze on US cooperation with the Saudis. Saudi Arabias sovereign wealth fund, and on 16 January 2023 to remove a reference to Richard Siklos, who is no longer a spokesperson for Netflix as initially described. Politics Middle East Yemen: Saudi Arabia preparing to exit costly war? The consequences of a Houthi-Saudi agreement would also be difficult in Yemens south, which was independent between 1967 and 1990. Instead of making demands of Israel, the Saudis are now making them of America. The subsequent OPEC+ decision to cut production in October 2022 was the largest since 2020. When his own turn came to speak, Mr. al-Assad used his few minutes to castigate the domination of the West, devoid of principles, morals, friends and partners. The emergence of a multipolar world is a historic opportunity to rearrange our affairs with the least amount of foreign intervention, he said. Across the country, the health ministry has said at least 730 people have died in the fighting, though the true figure is likely much higher. Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund Reports $11 Billion Investment Will Turkeys Meddling in Syria Solve the Kurdish Dilemma? In theory, the Saudi-Houthi deal is meant to open space for eventual Houthi-Presidential Leadership Council talks, possibly mediated by the United Nations. Putins War in Ukraine and the Interests of GCC Hydrocarbon Producers, Netanyahus Israel is a Teetering Balancing Act. Here's a look at key issues affecting U.S.-Gulf ties into 2023. Saudi Arabia also failed to elicit a more robust US response to the conflict in Syria, a theatre in which Iran has been able to extend its influence and cooperation with Hezbollah. The extent of Tehrans influence on Houthi decision-making remains a matter of debate. In sum, a reinvigorated relationship will be crafted by politics over polls, and given the constraints imposed by the current strategic environment, we may have to look beyond 2023 and into the next U.S. presidential cycle to find a greater convergence of interests. The Houthis pose a long-term threat to navigation in the Red Sea, and their partnership with Iran will allow them to maintain pressure on Riyadh. But we have said and repeat this, always, we will look towards our own interests. The Houthis continued ambitions will clash against those of other power centers. NATO leaders are meeting in Vilnius, Lithuania, today for the second day of talks. Withdrawal of United States troops from Saudi Arabia Privately, they werent so sure, The Intercept, 1 December 2022, https://theintercept.com/2022/12/01/saudi-prince-mbs-immunity/[xiii] Hiroko Tabuchi, Inside the Saudi Strategy to Keep the World Hooked on Oil, The New York Times, 21 November 2022, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/21/climate/saudi-arabia-aramco-oil-solar-climate.html[xiv] Emily Sullivan, US Public Views Saudi Relationship as One of Necessity, The Chicago Council on Global Affairs, 5 May 2022, https://globalaffairs.org/commentary-and-analysis/blogs/us-public-views-saudi-relationship-one-necessity[xv] Khaleej Times, Over 90% of Saudi Youth View US as an Ally: Survey, 15 July 2022, available at https://www.zawya.com/en/economy/gcc/over-90-of-saudi-youth-view-us-as-an-ally-survey-d8fq5hjf. 18 April - Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan met President Bashar Assad in Damascus, to be the first Saudi official to visit the country since the emergence of the civil war in 2011. It is, in fact, difficult to see how the Presidential Leadership Council survives the fallout from an eventual Saudi-Houthi deal. The burden of fixing or stabilizing the relationship is a shared responsibility. Fighting was also reported in al-Fasher, the provincial capital of North Darfur. List of wars involving Saudi Arabia - Wikipedia Your browser does not support the