There are several questions that a political analyst must ask himself before talking about the dimensions and significance of the regional tour of Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman that kicked off in Cairo, then reached Amman on the second leg before concluding in Ankara. What does this tour mean? Why did this tour happen before the start of the Hajj season? Why was it scheduled in anticipation of the visit of US President Joe Biden to the Kingdom in mid-July?
There is no doubt that the tour represents a definitive confirmation of the importance and weight of Saudi Arabia and its Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, not only in the region but on the global political arena as well, at a time when the world is witnessing an increase in unrest and divergence of positions and scenarios all around. It is noted that this new round of tour was preceded by the Crown Prince’s extensive tour of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, which laid the foundations for strengthening the Gulf alliance, by unifying positions, bringing visions closer, and developing joint strategies with regard to the Gulf security.
The Crown Prince’s visit to Cairo and Amman was meant to further strengthen cooperation, dialogue and consultation before the visit of US President Joe Biden to the Kingdom. The 6 + 3 + 1 summit will be held in Riyadh in the presence of the leaders of the GCC countries, together with the Egyptian president, the Jordanian monarch, the Iraqi prime minister, and the US president. It is an Arab axis whose features have begun to crystallize clearly, thanks to the active and prudent diplomacy of the Crown Prince. This axis has become more crucial and important after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine and the great challenges facing the world.
It is an occasion to say that Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman is undoubtedly playing a very big role in trying to mitigate the fallouts of the Ukrainian crisis on the countries of the region as well as to explore pathways for mediation that could be led to the solution of the crisis that the world is looking for.
It seems evident that one of the most important features of Riyadh’s active diplomacy is maintaining Saudi Arabia’s relations with all the regional and international powers, based on mutual respect, strengthening cooperation, coordinating positions and building bridges in a way serving the interests of the peoples.
There is no doubt that the outcome of the Crown Prince’s consultations with the leaders of the countries in the region will result in strengthening strong alliances against the policies of destabilization and interference in the affairs of Arab countries.
Despite the importance of the first two legs of the tour — Cairo and Amman — Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman’s visit to Turkey was telling evidence of the extent to which Riyadh and Ankara have realized that what unites them is more than what separates them, especially in light of a long history of bilateral relations over the decades.
It is certain that the Crown Prince’s tour was “very successful” and the extensive media coverage received by the visit confirms the importance of his tour and the weight of his presence as well as that of his country’s policies in the region and the world. The outcome of this tour will manifest through the 6 + 3 + 1 summit that the Kingdom will host on July 15-16.
It also confirms the weight and depth of the pioneering Saudi leadership role in the Arab and Islamic world. Riyadh is an influential global capital and is a mainstay in the stability of the peoples of the region and the security of the world as a whole.
