Search

From the IMEEC to Mohammed bin Salman’s state visit, the week of the G20 Summit in New Delhi saw the assertion of West Asian nations as ‘poles’

The ensuing kerfuffle between the US, Iran and Saudi Arabia has displayed the different directions that both Riyadh and Washington have taken, despite

While the ongoing geopolitical tremors will cloud much of MBS’s visit, India and Saudi Arabia have witnessed a pivotal shift over the past decade or

The voyage highlighted Riyadh’s role in the balance of ties between the three states and India’s continued concerns on that front.

On the diplomatic front, India has been careful to nurture its ties with Doha, even as our relations with the UAE and Saudi Arabia showed a dramatic upswing.

Saudi Arabia, under the tutelage of the crown prince and heir apparent Mohammed bin Salman, is remoulding its two main exports—oil and Islam—to future-proof both the Saudi state and the monarchy that runs it. While transitions of such scale and consequence have been attempted before, they have met with limited success. Today, the challenges and opportunities before Riyadh are simultaneously invigorating and jarring. This brief assesses Saudi

By bringing China and Russia into the region and by developing strategic partnerships with important players such as India, Riyadh is signalling its intent to reduce its dependence on the US. Mohammed bin Salman is looking at a policy of multi-alignment that affords greater strategic autonomy.

The crux of this visit should be seen from the view of what kind of tectonic changes MBS succeeds in bringing to Saudi Arabia.

MBS’ tour is an important one as it goes beyond the bilateral ties and at a time when anti-Saudi sentiment is at an all-time high in Washington, it has sent an important signal that Riyadh is intent on diversifying its partners.

In Saudi Arabia, the Biden administration is trying to walk a fine line between a robust interpretation of US interests and a softer definition of US values. For all his flaws, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has embarked on an ambitious and perilous mission to ‘normalise’ Saudi Arabia. The process isn’t democratic and there are times when reform & repression travel side by side.

Narendra Modi’s West Asia policy remains the one area of achievement in an otherwise indifferent record of foreign policy.