Saudi Arabia

CrisisWatch Saudi Arabia

Unchanged Situation

Govt pursued normalisation process with Iran and cracked down on freedom of expression at home.

Iranian-Saudi rapprochement made progress as normalisation with Syria stalled. Iranian FM Hossein Amir-Abdollahian 17 Aug met Saudi counterpart in capital Riyadh, describing relations “on the right track”; Amir-Abdollahian next day met Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) in highest-level talks since March reconciliation. Reports during month indicated Saudi Arabia delayed opening of embassy in Syria, which was reportedly planned for June. Amid talk of U.S. efforts to secure normalisation deal with Israel, Saudi Arabia 12 Aug named its ambassador to Jordan, Nayef al-Sudairi, non-resident envoy to Palestine. Riyadh 5-6 Aug hosted Ukraine “peace summit”. BRICS 24 Aug invited Saudi Arabia alongside other nations, including Iran, United Arab Emirates and Egypt, to join bloc.

Govt continued domestic crackdown. Amid series of arrests of social media personalities, authorities early Aug arrested public health expert and social media influencer, Mohammed Al Hajji, before releasing him on 15 Aug; arrests point to authorities’ attempt to stifle perceived criticism of govt policies. Human Rights Watch 21 Aug alleged Saudi border guards conducted “widespread and systematic” killings of hundreds of Ethiopian migrants between March 2022 and June 2023.

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In The News

4 May 2023
Saudi Arabia is seeking to assert itself more and more on the international stage through mediation and raising its diplomatic profile. CNN

Anna Jacobs

Senior Analyst, Gulf states
6 Apr 2023
Many experts still assume that whoever is in the White House will guide Saudi policy on Iran, but that simply isn’t true today. New York Times

Anna Jacobs

Senior Analyst, Gulf states
23 Mar 2023
Lowering the temperature with Iran is a smart way to lower tensions across the region and mitigate some of the proxy battles surrounding Saudi Arabia. Al Monitor

Anna Jacobs

Senior Analyst, Gulf states
13 Mar 2023
We can see a de-escalation in the regional layer of the [Saudi-Iranian] conflict. It is a multi-layered conflict, with domestic and regional causes, not just a proxy war Financial Times

Ahmed Nagi

Senior Analyst, Yemen
10 Mar 2023
The Saudi-Iran deal is a clear sign that both countries are ready to turn the page after years of turmoil. Financial Times

Anna Jacobs

Senior Analyst, Gulf states
14 Oct 2022
The US-Saudi relationship has gone through periods of intense strain before, but in my view the current low point represents a crack but not a rupture. AFP

Anna Jacobs

Senior Analyst, Gulf states

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Senior Analyst, Gulf states
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