Saudi Arabia has provisionally freed some political prisoners including woman activist Loujain al-Hathloul, famed for her campaign to end the ban on women driving. Saudi Arabia is also keen for compromise with Turkey, a NATO member, and former US ally, following a public boycott of Turkish goods last year, after intensified rivalry with Turkey, in the wake of killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Saudi Consulate General Istanbul, Turkey. A month back, Saudi Arabia has actively worked to end the differences between Saudi led alliance and Qatar with active support of Trump administration to form a collective front against Iran in the region.
The Countries in the region are setting new stage with the arrival of new Biden administration in Washington DC, the US capital since January 20. America is the sole major power in the contemporary world, and it’s polices change with transition of new administration, resulting in the change of regional and international politics. Trump policies were open and clearer whether friendly or otherwise, whereas Biden’s polices are coated with sweet bright layers of selective human rights as a pillar of its foreign policy followed by the engagement with friends and foe.
Saudi Arabia is a rich, big, and relatively powerful country in the Middle East. It faces several rivals including Iran, Israel, Iran back Shiite elements in the region and internal religious and political groups operating to bring change in the political system of the Kingdom. The Kingdom also sorted to keep politically upper edge on other states of the region, due to which it always needs military shield, which has been provided by the United States so far. After landing in white house on January 20, Biden pull the ropes of its Middle East allies including UAE and Saudi Arabia by halting the sale of arms and ammunition to both states, easing sanctions against Houthis through revocation of Yemeni terror group, Ansaralluh. Biden administration also called China and Russia to abide by the human rights in their countries. Saudi leadership set to bring their house in order as advised by their lobbyists. These steps are only due to external requirements otherwise Kingdom has no need to undertake such cosmetics measures to display its flexibility on human and individual’s rights in the country.
The other reason for Saudi flexibility is the unending Yemeni war, this nonproductive Yemeni war as exerted adverse impacts on Saudi economy, military preparedness and morale, and security situation of the overall region. The Saudi engaged in Yemen is same as Pakistan search for a strategic depth in Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia went in search of a friendly neighborhood and sunk down deep into the Marshland of Yemen. These Saudi measures to enhance the basic human rights in the state are aim at aligning Saudi- American approach at the same page, to create mutual bonds between the two states.
While maintaining equilibrium with the United States, Saudi Arabia also extended a positive gesture to Turkey during recent weeks. This multi-dimensional Saudi’s move is aiming at securing Turkey support in regional affairs, first in dealing with Iran and Houthis, and setting up relations with Biden administration. Turkish military can fill up the gap in case of US pull back from Saudi support in any crucial time. On other hand, United States can’t offer to betray its valuable security partnership in the middle East, only for the sake of human rights, with in the Kingdom or outside it in the Yemen. However, Human Rights are as a tool of US foreign Policy to deal its allies and adversaries. The US recent foreign policy initiative in the Middle East were also have prospects for forthcoming negotiation with Tehran on JCPOA. As per reports, Saudi Arabia is not in favor of US revision of ties and Nuclear deal with Iran. However, some time back, Saudi Arabia itself had offered Iran to resolve all mutual issues through dialogues. Apparently, Saudi steps are well measured response to Biden actions in the middle East. Saudi Arabia had displayed flexibility to strengthen its partnership with the United States, however, such kind of test steps by the United States will lead to weaken the US-Saudi partnership in the region.
