With the announcement that US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold their summit in Riyadh in the presence of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, it indicates that Saudi Arabia has solidified its status as a global power. It reinforces Saudi Arabia’s major role in global diplomacy, particularly in helping to resolve one of the most complicated and dangerous conflicts of recent years, a war that could have escalated into World War III. All Gulf citizens should take pride in the fact that Riyadh has become a hub for peace. The mere hosting of such a high-level summit by Saudi Arabia holds significance comparable to the Versailles Summit that ended World War I, as well as the Yalta Summit between Stalin, Churchill, and Roosevelt, where the new world order was shaped after a devastating war that claimed millions of lives and saw the first use of nuclear bombs. Undoubtedly, the outcomes of the Yalta Agreement remained influential until the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian war, which marked the beginning of a new international phase. Therefore, for Saudi Arabia to host a summit between the leaders of the world’s largest and second-largest global powers to resolve this conflict is a clear indication that the region’s perception on the global stage has undergone a dramatic transformation.
In the past, great powers divided our countries among themselves, as exemplified by the 1916 Sykes-Picot Treaty between France and the United Kingdom, later ratified by the Russian Empire and Italy, to divide the region. Today, things have changed. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, led by Saudi Arabia, have emerged as a global hub. What does this transformation signify? First, it strengthens the Gulf Cooperation Council. Second, it highlights Saudi Arabia’s important role as the leader of the Arab and Islamic worlds. The upcoming summit is not just about ending the Russian-Ukrainian war, but is poised to mark the beginning of a new global power-sharing arrangement in the Middle East and beyond. Third, it indicates that solutions to regional crises may be on the horizon, particularly for countries like Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and others that have suffered from years of unrest and conflict. These challenges have reshaped the region throughout the past 15 years, especially with the recent war between Israel and Iran-backed forces.
This conflict cast a long shadow over the Arab world, intensifying tensions and creating a volatile environment in which the region is caught in an “oven-like” state that burns everything in its path. Saudi Arabia’s efforts have always been present, both at the regional level and since the start of the Ukraine war, where it played the role of a “firefighter”. It has worked tirelessly to bridge the gap between Russia and Ukraine, and successfully facilitated multiple agreements for the exchange of war prisoners between the two sides. With these efforts, Riyadh proved its possession of the soft power necessary to play an important role on the global stage. Along with the Gulf Cooperation Council, Saudi Arabia has solidified its presence as a key player in finding solutions to some of the most complex and challenging issues today. Today, Gulf citizens feel that their countries are no longer “objects”, but active partners in global solutions, thanks to the vision set by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz, and his Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who have prioritized diplomacy over violence. Saudi Arabia, the Kingdom of glory and Arabism, has emerged as a global peacemaker, with its leadership at the forefront of solving difficult problems. Endless gratitude goes to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz and his remarkable Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Ahmed Al-Jarallah
Editor-in-Chief, the Arab Times
