The White House officially announced that US President Joe Biden is visiting the
Middle East in July. He is set to first stop in Israel, followed by Saudi
Arabia. Coming at a time when the US administration is seeking to re-organize
its axis in the Middle East as part of efforts to counter Russia and face
China, the visit is reminiscent of when then-president Donald Trump first made
his way to the region and visited the same countries. Back then, Trump’s visit
led to the opening of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
اضافة اعلان
President Biden’s
visit to Saudi Arabia comes in a different context as it will inaugurate a new
phase of rapprochement with Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, who has not until
now enjoyed active and direct contact with the current US administration. With
security as a focus, this meeting could lead to a change in the priorities and
nature of bilateral relations.
The meeting will
address regional security issues as a priority, which suggests a discussion of
the risks that threaten the GCC countries in Jordan, Egypt, and Iraq. It is
likely to cover Iranian regional policies, especially given that the threat of
confrontation between Iran and Israel is growing and evolving. And considering
Iran’s nuclear deal has not been progressing, Iranian policies in the region
and their impact on the national security of various countries in the GCC are
likely to be bought to focus.
President Biden’s visit to Saudi Arabia comes in a different context as it will inaugurate a new phase of rapprochement with Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, who has not until now enjoyed active and direct contact with the current US administration.
This meeting will
present an opportunity for the aforementioned countries to express their
grievances for being marginalized by the Biden administration, which has been
pushing for policies — the demand to increase oil production to compensate for
the impact that the Russia-Ukraine conflict is having on the energy market —
that contradicts the American vision for the region.
This meeting also
represents a chance for the Biden administration to advocate for the relaunch
of the Arab Israeli peace process. Convincing Saudi Arabia to join the Abraham
Accords is the most pragmatic approach to moving the peace process from theory
into practice.
The visit, and
particularly any invitation to join the Abraham Accords, gives the Saudi Crown
Prince a tremendous amount of leverage. Alignment or agreement on issues around
regional security, Iran, and the Abraham Accords could pave the way for change
in the region. A change that can create increasing and wider possibilities for
the Biden administration and one that would create a united and solid alliance
useful for the US in the broader international scene.
The writer is a Jordanian university professor and
geopolitical expert. He is a leading columnist in national, regional, and
international media, offers consultancies to think tanks and speaks at
international conferences on Middle East politics and developments.
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