Saudi Arabia’s rise as a global diplomacy broker

Saudi Arabia is solidifying its position as a global and regional diplomatic hub. On Friday, Riyadh will host the leaders of the six Gulf Cooperation Council countries, in addition to Jordan and Egypt, to discuss an Arab plan for the reconstruction of Gaza without displacing its 2.2 million inhabitants. Once approved, the plan will be presented at the meeting of Arab leaders in Cairo at the end of the month. It will become a counterproposal to President Donald Trump’s plan to displace the people of Gaza while taking over the beleaguered enclave and turning it into a regional riviera.

And on Tuesday, in the Saudi capital, senior US and Russian officials kicked off preparatory meetings aimed at setting the parameters for a plan to end the war in Ukraine ahead of a proposed summit between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Saudi Arabia.

The choice of the Kingdom as a diplomatic hub for conflict resolution initiatives indicates the country’s growing influence regionally and globally as it implements a foreign policy that seeks to keep its doors open in all directions.

When President Trump suggested that the US would “own” Gaza and displace its inhabitants, ostensibly on humanitarian grounds, his suggestion sent shock waves across the globe, but particularly through the region. His proposal rattled Jordan and Egypt, the two countries that Trump called on to receive the Palestinians displaced from Gaza. But more importantly, it signaled a dangerous departure from the decades-old policy that was anchored in international law. Such a proposal, if executed, would further destabilize the region and bring down the foundations of the current global order.

So, when Jordan’s King Abdullah met with Trump at the White House last week, his response to Trump’s idea was that Arab leaders had been invited by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, whose country has rejected any attempt to displace the Palestinians from their land, to work on an Arab plan for the reconstruction of Gaza without the displacement of its people.

The choice of the venue is essential. Trump understands the importance of Saudi Arabia politically and economically. It was the first country he visited at the outset of his first term. Early in his second term, the president spoke of the Kingdom’s importance, especially as an economic powerhouse valuable to the US economy.

The Arab plan for Gaza to be agreed to in Riyadh will receive recognition and support not only in the Arab and Muslim worlds but also beyond. Already, many European, African, Asian and Latin American leaders have decried any attempt to displace the Palestinians, while supporting efforts to rebuild the enclave.

The choice of the Kingdom as a diplomatic hub indicates the country’s growing influence regionally and globally

Egypt has been working on the details of the proposed plan, which calls for an independent body of technocrats to administer the Palestinian enclave without the participation of Hamas or any other faction. A plan to rebuild the Strip will be implemented through the World Bank and other regional and international bodies without the displacement of the inhabitants.

Once such a plan is approved, a senior Arab delegation will present it to Trump. All indications point to a positive reception by the Americans, who will ensure that all parties, including Israel, abide by it.

In terms of the Ukraine war, the Saudis have followed a wise foreign policy since the beginning of the conflict, adhering to the principles of international law without alienating any of the parties involved.

In May 2023, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was invited to address the Arab League Summit in Jeddah. And while Ukraine will not be a party to the US-Russian preparatory talks in Riyadh, Zelensky will visit Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, one day after a meeting there between top Russian and US officials.

Likewise, Putin visited Saudi Arabia in December 2023, a rare foreign trip by the Russian leader since the war with Ukraine broke out in February 2022. He met with the Saudi crown prince, who he had last seen in 2019.

Riyadh’s balanced approach to the Russia-Ukraine crisis has presented it as an acceptable venue for the US-Russia talks and the planned Putin-Trump summit.

Saudi Arabia has played a key role in mediation and in resolving its own conflicts with other nations. In March 2023, Riyadh embraced a Chinese initiative to normalize ties with Iran, which has succeeded in strengthening relations between the two regional powers.

Riyadh’s past successes and its current strategic positioning suggest a potential for significant influence

The Saudis have been active in attempts to end the war in Sudan, bring peace to Yemen and rebuild war-torn Syria, while supporting the election of a new president in Lebanon and helping to bring peace and stability to Iraq, among other things.

Addressing the core of the region’s instability, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the Kingdom presented the Arab Peace Initiative of 2002 and this remains the benchmark for a just and lasting peace in the region based on the two-state solution.

Riyadh’s past successes, such as brokering the Taif Agreement in 1989 to end the civil war in Lebanon, and its current strategic positioning suggest a potential for significant influence in shaping the new global landscape. This carefully orchestrated approach has enabled Saudi Arabia to create political and commercial alliances with countries like China, India and Russia and blocs like BRICS, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and others.

This diplomatic dynamism did not come at the expense of the Kingdom’s decades-old alliances and partnerships with countries like the US and blocs like the EU. Saudi Arabia has also worked to mend relations within the Gulf region, particularly after the 2017 diplomatic crisis with Qatar. Efforts at reconciliation have included high-level meetings and discussions aimed at restoring cooperation among GCC member states.

As part of its Vision 2030 reform plan, Saudi Arabia is using its diplomatic reach to improve its international leverage. This includes efforts toward conflict resolution and peace-building initiatives. Today, it has become the locomotive that pulls other countries in the region toward a more stable and prosperous future.

- Osama Al-Sharif is a journalist and political commentator based in Amman. X: @plato010