The visit of Vladimir Putin, the first by a Russian president, underlines a shift in the Kingdom’s economic and political policy. It has been taking place over the past five years and the shift is eastward, away from what was formerly almost an exclusive reliance on ties with the US, Europe and other Western nations. The visit should therefore be seen in the wider context of last year’s visit by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah to India and China and the return visit last April to Riyadh by Chinese President Hu Jintao. But dramatic though this diversification has been in terms of mega deals with the new partners, it is hardly unique. Saudi Arabia is merely doing what everyone else is doing. The rest of the world, not least the US, has been busily beating a path to India’s and China’s doors while European and American trade with Russia has never been stronger. With this in mind, there is no doubt as to the popularity of diversification away from economic links with the West. There is deep public resentment that the US, with its despised regional involvements and policies, should still be Saudi Arabia’s principal economic partner. To a lesser extent, this also holds true for attitudes to the Kingdom’s other Western trade partners.
The attitude to Russia, however, is different. For Saudis, just as for all Arabs, Palestine is the No. 1 emotive issue and, as all Arabs know, the Russians have consistently supported the Palestinians. Nor did Russia support the invasion of Iraq. This has not been forgotten. Despite Chechnya, despite what happened in Afghanistan, despite the Cold War and the decades of communism, the Russians are seen as friends by ordinary Arabs.
On a purely practical level, improved economic ties with Russia are certainly justified. The two countries are the world’s leading oil producers and exporters grounds alone for closer cooperation. In addition to that, Russia has technologies and skills which are available far more cheaply than those from Western sources and which come without any potential strings attached. Moreover, although Saudis still appreciate the quality of American and European goods and services and have no intention of opting for cheaper alternatives purely on political grounds (Putin’s visit is unlikely to result in the appearance of Lada cars on the streets of Riyadh or Jeddah), there are sound strategic reasons for diversifying. The Kingdom cannot become dependent on sources of equipment, particularly defense equipment, that could become hostage to unfavorable decisions taken by suppliers for political decisions. In the 1980s, Saudi Arabia switched from buying American to British jet fighters because of fears that Israeli lobbying in the US Congress might block sales. Who can guarantee that American pressure on its “most loyal ally” at some point in the future might not result in equipment and spares from the UK being blocked? Better, as the saying goes, not to put all one’s eggs in the same basket which is precisely what reaching out to Russia, China and India is all about.
Lyubo, bratsy, lyubo, lyubo, bratsy, zhit!
ËÞÁÎ, ÁÐÀÒÖÛ, ËÞÁÎ, ËÞÁÎ, ÁÐÀÒÖÛ, ÆÈÒÜ!
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