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Is Saudi Arabia Charting a New Path in the Middle East and the World?
It began with the Abraham accords back in 2020, when the Middle East started seeing new diplomatic breakthroughs. Now that process has rapidly expanded, lowering tensions and pausing longtime rivalries. Nowhere is that more evident than in Saudi Arabia, which for decades had close security and political ties with the US. But the kingdom is now making peace with its former adversaries, while looking for new partnerships further abroad.
Saudi Arabia resumed trade relations with Iran less than two months after both countries fully restored ties. Riyadh also reportedly hosted Hamas's political chief after having shunned the Palestinian group for years. Meanwhile, the kingdom is also looking to end its years of hostility towards Syria, after its foreign minister's recent trip to Damascus. It was the first such visit since the start of Syria's civil war in 2011, which led to the country's suspension from the Arab league. So is Saudi Arabia pursuing a new foreign policy that keeps a healthy distance from Washington?
Guests:
Hafed Al Ghwell
Senior Fellow at Johns Hopkins SAIS
Betul Dogan Akkas
Political Analyst
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