Countries from Asia, Africa and Europe have been invited by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman to participate in the three summits of Gulf, Arab and Islamic leaders in Makkah to discuss ways to enhance regional security and stability in the wake of the attacks on commercial vessels in UAE territorial waters and on two Saudi pumping stations by Iranian-backed terrorist Houthi militias.

The Islamic Summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) chaired by King Salman and held under the theme “Makkah Summit: Together for the Future” aims at developing a unified stance on current issues and events in the Islamic world.

Despite the constant barrage of missile attacks targeting governorates of the Kingdom, Saudis and foreigners in Saudi Arabia appreciate the fact that they live in a safe and secure environment, as the military might of Saudi Arabia continues to grow, as the Kingdom is ranked 26 out of 136 countries worldwide, according to the annual Global Firepower (GFP) list for 2018.

Saudi Arabia is a Kingdom of Alliances. Although an alliance in international relations is considered a formal agreement between nations for the benefit of mutual support in case of war, nowadays alliances provide for combined action on the part of two or more independent states and are generally defensive in nature. Alliances and entities announced by the Kingdom under King Salman have built strong ties with Gulf, Arab and Islamic nations.

The Arab Coalition for Supporting Legitimacy in Yemen (2015): This safeguard alliance assists the coalition to support the legitimacy of Yemen to support the Yemeni people from the influence of the Houthi militias loyal to Iran and its violations.

The Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition (2015): A declaration by Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman led to the formation of this alliance with a Saudi initiative and membership of most Islamic countries. In addition, Saudi Arabia actively participated in the coalition that defeated the terrorist Daesh organization.

The Arab and African countries entity to safeguard the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden (2018): This alliance will shape the region in the future and promote stability and prosperity. Saudi Arabia led and contributed to the formation of alliances in regional and international entities, which are highly effective in the political, economic and security fields.

Internationally, the important Saudi-US strategic alliance has been built on decades of security cooperation and strong business ties. Moreover, relations between the two countries have grown especially warm as King Salman and US President Donald Trump have both ramped up efforts to counter Iran.

Saudi Arabia under King Salman is witnessing massive developments, economic reforms, women empowerment, investment flows and moderation. In addition, the Kingdom plays a huge role in global peace and security. On Tuesday, Saudi Arabia ranked 26 out of 63 participating countries according to the International Institute for Management Development (IMD) World Competitiveness Yearbook 2019. The report measures national competitiveness based on four main factors: government efficiency, infrastructure, business efficiency, economic performance.

The fight against terrorism requires the mobilization of all States, and that is the goal which the three summits aim to achieve, as they work to develop strict sanctions and a clear vision against any hostile action that aims to harm any Gulf, Arab or Islamic country.

— The author is a Saudi political analyst specialized in International Relations. She can be reached at: ekleel.sallam@hotmail.com Twitter: @EkleelBS