René Rieger - Saudi Arabian Foreign Relations: Diplomacy and Mediation in Conflict Resolution

First published 2017

by Routledge

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2016 Ren Rieger

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ISBN: 978-1-138-67850-7 (hbk)

ISBN: 978-1-315-55890-5 (ebk)

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I should like to use this opportunity to thank all those people whose support was essential in the process of writing this book. First of all, my particular gratitude is owed to my dear friend, Saud Al Tamamy, who graciously supported me in innumerable ways throughout the whole research and writing process. I am deeply indebted to my mentors Gerd Nonneman and Tim Niblock, who guided me through my PhD research and who gave me valuable advice with respect to my first postdoctoral research project, the result of which is the book at hand.

I am also indebted to the numerous individuals in Saudi Arabia and abroad who so generously took time out of their busy schedules to share with me valuable insights on Saudi history, society, culture, and most importantly foreign policy. As several of these individuals prefer to remain unanimous, I unfortunately cannot mention all of them by name. Nonetheless, my gratitude is owed to them as much as it is owed to the following people: Awadh Albadi, Salih Al Khathlan, Abdullah Al Otaibi, HRH Prince Turki Al Faisal Al Saud, Asaad Al Shamlan, John Duke Anthony, H. E. Abdullah Bishara, Barbara Bodine, Steven Bondy, Raymond H. Close, Anthony Cordesman, Walter L. Cutler, Sean Foley, Charles W. Freeman, F. Gregory Gause, Dieter W. Haller, Anne Joyce, Allen L. Kieswetter, W. Patrick Lang, Thomas W. Lippmann, Richard W. Murphy, James A. Placke, Steven A. Seche, Mark Thompson, and Judith S. Yaphe.

Last but surely not least, my gratitude is, as always, owed to Julia.

For decades Western governments, such as those of the United States, the United Kingdom or Germany, have regularly emphasized the importance of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as a strategic partner and anchor of economic and regional stability. No political disagreement or conflict of interests has permanently strained political or economic relations between key Western states and the Saudi leadership. However, there are few states whose foreign policies Western media and societies meet with as much reflexive aversion and disapproval as that of Saudi Arabia. The 1973/74 oil embargo and the continuous refusal to enter into a peace treaty with Israel are widely considered proof of the Kingdoms anti-Semitism (as Arabs are Semites as well, more adequate terms would be anti-Judaism or anti-Zionism); the support of the Afghan mujahidin in the 1980s and the Taliban in the decade that followed is seen as ostensible evidence of the Saudi leaderships desire to export religious and cultural extremism; and the alleged Saudi counterrevolution in the course of the Arab uprisings is taken as the ultimate demonstration of both the Saudi leaderships anti-democratic, sectarian campaign and its aspiration for uncontested leadership in the Arab world. Whenever Saudi Arabia becomes active in foreign policy, the natural reaction of Western media, societies, and parts of their political elites seems to be that of skepticism and cynical rejection. Any Saudi international action is seen as another piece of the puzzle of the Kingdoms alleged perfidious plan to impose its fundamentalist Wahhabi ideology on societies beyond its borders. Accordingly, whenever Saudi Arabia endeavored to mediate in international and intra-national conflicts, Western observers inevitably questioned the Kingdoms motivation and speculated on its true objectives.

Setting incorrect preconceptions straight is a difficult task, particularly when they have been burnt deeply into the minds of people. One is destined to draw significant criticism for swimming against the current instead of repeating and adding to the established narrative. Nonetheless, by taking a fresh analytical view, the book at hand challenges the biased picture most Westerners, and indeed many Middle Easterners as well, have of Saudi foreign policy. Based on a general analysis of Saudi foreign policy objectives, the study will mainly focus on Saudi Arabias role as a mediator in international relations.