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CHICAGO: US President Joe Biden publicly denounced Saudi Arabia as a “pariah” while privately sending back-channel emissaries to try to restore the relationship between the two allies, an influential analyst has told Arab News.

Elise Labott, the former global affairs correspondent with the broadcaster CNN who is now a columnist with Politico magazine, had access to highly placed US and Saudi sources — both on and off the record — for an article published recently in the magazine.

Speaking on “The Ray Hanania Show,” which is produced by Arab News and broadcast weekly on the US Arab Radio network, she said: “Let’s be honest, I don’t think that President Biden ever really intended to treat Saudi Arabia as a pariah when he came to office and make that his policy, but the politics kind of got in the way and they were trying to move forward on the policy, but in secret because of the politics. After a while, the Saudis did want to repair the relationship. So, they did a lot of what the US asked them to do.

“But finally, they were just like, all right, in or out? There have been a series of visits over the course of the last year or so. National security adviser Jake Sullivan went out there. CIA director Bill Burns went out there.”

Labott said there was a recognition in the White House that “there are problems in the relationship … on the wider human rights front, but then whether it's security, or economically or in the region, the Saudis are a valuable partner and the US does need to reset the relationship.”

Other issues encouraged a recalibration, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine and soaring fuel prices in the US, Labott said.

“I think that when President Biden was on the campaign trail as a candidate he promised, of course, to treat Saudi Arabia as a pariah state, make them pay the price, and for a while they were pretty standoffish, but I think as time wore on, and certainly the war in Ukraine was really a catalyst for this, the US saw that the relationship with Saudi Arabia was too big to fail. And so, you had rising gas prices. You had the war inUkraine. You had a whole host of things where the US would look to that solid partner over the years, Saudi Arabia — this is a 75-year-old relationship.

“And because the Saudis, and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in particular, were being kind of ostracized, finally they had had enough. Even though President Biden was saying this in public, in private he was sending emissaries to Saudi Arabia to say look, we want to reset the relationship. We want to move forward.

“And kind of in secret almost, there was this back-channel diplomacy going on for the last year or so in which the two sides were trying to make progress on a whole host of issues.”

Labott said Saudi influence on the global price of oil amid US domestic anger over the cost of fuel at the pumps was a driver of White House thinking — but far from the only one. “Well, a lot of people are reducing it to the oil and the Saudis are the biggest swing producer,” she said.

“The US is looking to them to stabilize markets, everyone is going to fill their car with gas at the pump, its over $5 and some places it’s $7, so the initial thought is can we get the Saudis to increase oil production so that will ease the pain?

“I think that the Saudis ultimately are playing hard to get, with the US having agreed to some oil production, I don’t think that’s going to make much of a difference for the US economy in the long run, that’s what experts say.

“I think if it is anything from stabilizing some of the economies in the region like Lebanon, for instance, or playing a mediator in Iraq or reaching out to Iran. Normalization with Israel. And then there is, you know, Saudi Arabia is on the Red Sea and there is a whole keeping trade lanes open in the Red Sea and mediating with Africa.

“If you look across the globe, most major foreign policy issues particularly in that part of the world, Saudi Arabia is the ‘gorilla in the room,’ and you can’t really get anything done if you don’t have them on the inside.”

Washington had functional relationships with many states without agreeing with them on every issue, Labott said, and it was important for the US to realize that it could not bend a country to its will. “Whether it’s in the UAE or Saudi or Bahrain or these Gulf states, they’re monarchies they’re not democracies, but if you ask the people by and large there’s not a lot of dissent … if you ask the Saudis whether they approve of Mohammed bin Salman, if you held an election, I think he’d win hands down. I think it’s recognizing these leaders as imperfect as they are and trying to find a way to move forward instead of trying to bend them to our will.”

As for what the US expected of Saudi Arabia, Labott said: “I think it’s just showing that leadership in the region that the US is looking for and that could be anything from standing on the right side of democracy against the war in Ukraine.

“We have one goal right now and that’s to beat Putin, and we need the Saudis to help us do that, so that means not doing anything with the oil market that will embolden President Putin … maybe not supporting sanctions in the way the US wants them to, but don’t do anything that will help President Putin, and I think if the Saudis want to be that leader, that’s what the US is looking for them to do.” The radio show also featured an interview with Fahad Nazer, spokesman for the Saudi Embassy in Washington, who said that contrary to the views of some pundits there was a genuine appreciation in Washington of the important role played by Saudi Arabia and the significance of the relationship with the US. Biden’s decision to visit Saudi Arabia next month as part of his first Middle East trip was evidence of that, Nazer said.

“This dialogue goes a long way but I think there is an appreciation in Washington, as far as I can tell among congressional leaders and in the administration, that Saudi Arabia plays a very important role globally … in stabilizing international energy markets,” he said. “We play an important role in helping bring stability and helping resolve some of the political crises in the region including the Yemen war … and we have played the leading role over the years in pushing back onmilitant non-state actors like Daesh, Al-Qaeda, the Houthis, Hezbollah and others. So, I think there is an appreciation for that very constructive role that the Kingdom plays.”

Nazer confirmed that Biden would hold separate meetings during his visit with King Salman and the crown prince, with a wide range of issues on the agenda. “The two leaders will discuss bilateral cooperation and joint efforts to address regional and global challenges including some of the newer challenges that the international community faces including cyber security, climate change, and environmental initiatives,” he said.

“At the same time the Kingdom is hosting a summit that will include the leaders of the GCC countries as well as the leaders of Jordan, Egypt and Iraq, and obviously President Biden will be attending that as well.”

Arab countries remained critically important role players in these discussions with “our most important strategic ally in the world,” Nazer said.

The Ray Hanania Show is broadcast live every Wednesday at 5 p.m. Eastern EST on WNZK AM 690 radio in Greater Detroit including parts of Ohio, and WDMV AM 700 radio in Washington DC including parts of Virginia and Maryland. The show is rebroadcast on Thursdays at 7 a.m. in Detroit on WNZK AM 690 and in Chicago at 12 noon on WNWI AM 1080.

You can listen to the radio show podcast here: www.arabnews.com/RayRadioShow

NEW YORK CITY: On US President Joe Biden’s visit to Saudi Arabia, he should take note of the massive social transformation underway in the Kingdom, according to American journalist and media executive Karen Elliott House.

Author of the 2012 book “On Saudi Arabia: Its People, Past, Religion, Fault Lines — and Future,” a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, former publisher of The Wall Street Journal, and former president of Dow Jones International, she has enjoyed a long relationship with the Kingdom, tracing its evolution from the early 1970s to the present day.

“It boggles my mind how much has changed for women and young people,” House told Arab News ahead of Biden’s visit, adding that the Kingdom’s transformation over the past decade alone in terms of individual rights is “staggering.”

“The very best thing President Biden can do for himself and the country, frankly, is take a walk down Riyadh Boulevard — anything that exposes him to what’s really going on in the country,” she said, reflecting on the Kingdom’s economic and social reforms.

“All these men and women and children, relaxed, having a nice time, instead of women sitting in one part of the house and men in another, young people being separated and segregated. They’re sitting together in Starbucks, just like here (in the US), working on their computers and talking.”

Although she is broadly pessimistic about the prospect of the US president changing his negative attitude toward the Kingdom, House hopes Biden will at the very least use the opportunity provided by his meetings with Saudi leaders to recalibrate and rebuild the historic relationship between the two nations.

Biden arrived in the Kingdom on Friday for talks with the Saudi leadership and other Arab leaders. Observers expect the issue of oil production to top the agenda, in light of spiraling global energy prices as a result of the war in Ukraine and the resultant Western embargo on Russian oil and gas.

Saudi Arabia and other oil producers in the Middle East have been reluctant to boost production at Washington’s behest. Biden’s tour of the region is therefore widely viewed as a charm offensive to help mend strained ties with the Kingdom.

“I personally do not expect much to come of it because I believe it is being done for the wrong reasons,” said House.

“Biden is coming for selfish reasons, acting in his own personal interest, trying to improve his sinking standing by doing something to secure oil that will help reduce the price, when his real agenda is not about easing national pain.

“I’m not saying he enjoys America having actual pain but his biggest primary goal is to help himself, not the country. And so it’s going to be, in my view, mostly a propaganda trip, not a policy trip.”

Despite her doubts about the president’s intentions, House believes it is “incredibly important that the US and Saudi Arabia rebuild security cooperation to contain and deter Iran at a time when Tehran reportedly has enough fissile material for a nuclear device, while talks to revive the 2015 nuclear deal (more formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) continue to falter.”

She added: “We should be working hard to rebuild a relationship that is absolutely in our interest, because the Iranians are doing very bad things in the region and I believe have every intention of producing a nuclear weapon. And if something transpires there, it will be a potential disaster (not only) for Saudi Arabia but the whole world.

“We have to be concerned about security in the whole world, yes, but in the Middle East and South China Sea in particular, because if we aren’t prepared to cooperate with countries like Saudi Arabia, the younger Saudi generation (of Crown Prince) Mohammed bin Salman is much more willing to cooperate with Russia and China.

“Their parents, being anti-communists, were much less willing to do so. But it is a different mindset now in Saudi Arabia. We can’t just slap the Saudis around and then expect them to salute when we need them.”

US-Saudi relations were not always this way. After US President Franklin D. Roosevelt met King Abdulaziz, known in the West as Ibn Saud, on Valentine’s Day 1945 on the American cruiser USS Quincy in the Suez Canal, a close bond developed between their countries.

The two leaders are said to have made a strong impression on one another. Ibn Saud famously said he and FDR were “twins” of a sort; they were both about the same age, heads of state with grave responsibilities, farmers at heart, and stricken with poor health.

Despite their differences over the future of Palestine, the friendly atmosphere during that meeting on the Great Bitter Lake laid the foundations for a bilateral relationship that endured for decades despite conflicts and disasters.

Indeed, the personal relationships between successive US presidents and Saudi monarchs have been a key determinant in setting both the tone and substance of ties between the two countries.

In the decades immediately following the Second World War, the US and Saudi Arabia were closely allied in their opposition to the spread of communism and their support for stable oil prices and the security of oil fields and maritime shipping routes.

The nations stood shoulder to shoulder in defiance of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 and during the war to expel the forces of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein from Kuwait in 1991.

Nevertheless, the relationship has faced many challenges along the way. It was seriously strained during the 1973 oil embargo, and again in 2001 in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on Washington and New York.

“At those times the American public was very aware of Saudi Arabia, which it isn’t at most times, and angry,” said House. “But on both of those occasions the US government worked very hard, and quietly, to keep the relationship in as good a shape as possible despite public anger. And of course, that is not the case now.”

During his 2020 presidential election campaign, Biden vowed to make Saudi Arabia a “pariah state,” in Washington and internationally, to cut off support for the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen’s war against the Iran-backed Houthis.

He also severed personal links with the Saudi heir apparent, Crown Prince Mohammed, following the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi on Oct. 2, 2018, inside the Kingdom’s consulate in Istanbul. In Sept. 2020, Saudi Arabia’s Public Prosecution passed the final sentences on eight people convicted of the murder; five of them were jailed for 20 years, one for 10 years and two for seven years.

“President Biden himself has personally led the cheering squad against Saudi Arabia, when I don’t think the public is as disturbed by Saudi Arabia as the president is,” said House.

“That’s the big difference, to me, in the ups and downs in the past. Those were two big downs (the oil embargo and 9/11). But this big down is much worse and it is not led by something Saudi Arabia allegedly did, but something the president chooses to focus on and accuse mostly the crown prince of, and then tar the whole country.”

She views Biden’s snubbing of the crown prince as an insult to all Saudis.

“If the Saudi king refused to speak to President Biden, I think it would at some level insult many Americans,” she said. “In the reverse, it is even bigger because (Saudi Arabia) identifies with its leadership more than Americans do.

“So I think it has been insulting to the Saudi people that the president won’t speak to the crown prince, who day-to-day runs the country.”

House believes Biden has been keen to rebuke Saudi Arabia as a means of endearing himself to progressive members of Congress.

“I personally think it is all a part of his efforts now to appeal to progressives, the people who are deeply anti-Saudi,” she said.

“He is courting them more than reflecting his own innate or acquired views. It’s like a lot of other stuff he is doing. He’s been vastly more progressive and pro-abortion than he ever was as a senator or as vice president.”

House is well positioned to talk about the changing mindsets in Saudi Arabia, having closely monitored the nation’s evolution during frequent visits to the Kingdom. In particular, she views King Salman’s decision to bring the crown prince to the forefront of the nation’s affairs as an era-defining moment that Biden would be wise to recognize.

Saudi Arabia “was at risk of winding up like the old Soviet Union, with one elderly, infirm leader after another and then just kind of petering out because the old brothers were getting older and older, and how would they bring themselves to make the change without running out the line?” said House.

“And the great news is that King Salman did that. He brought in a young leader. And whatever people think of this young leader, he is very confident, very decisive, he has a vision and, most importantly, the time to execute it. And that’s what previous Saudi leaders, even King Abdullah, didn’t have.”

JEDDAH: Bahrain’s Crown Prince Sheikh Salman bin Hamad arrived in Saudi Arabia on Friday to take part in the the Jeddah Security and Development Summit. The two-day summit will be attended by leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council, King Abdullah II of Jordan, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, and Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi, along with US President Joe Biden who is currently on an official visit to the Kingdom. Bahrain’s King Hamad is expected to arrive to attend the GCC summit on Saturday, the official BNA reported. Al-Kadhimi, who also arrived in Jeddah on Friday, held talks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ahead of the summit.

MAKKAH: Khuzam Palace, one of the most important historical palaces in the Kingdom, has hosted several influential meetings between the leadership of Saudi Arabia and the US.

The palace’s first links with the US took place on May 29, 1933, when it witnessed the signing of the first agreement in the concession for oil exploration between the Saudi government, represented by Minister of Finance Sheikh Abdullah bin Suleiman, and Standard Oil of California, represented by Lloyd Hamilton.

Faisal Ibrahim Al-Shammari, writer and political analyst specializing in American affairs, said that Khuzam Palace was central to the founding of the country as it received foreign delegations during the reigns of King Abdulaziz and King Saud.

Khuzam Palace also played a prominent role in the establishment of Saudi-American relations before they became official. Special relations were established with the American private sector, represented by the launch of the Arabian-American Oil Company, which later became Aramco.

Al-Shammari added that people are mistaken if they think that the early days of Saudi -US relations were just political, noting that they also involved economic links.

He said that the relations that were established in Khuzam Palace with the American private sector played a fundamental role in strengthening political relations, noting the healthy economic relations with successive US administrations and that trade remains expansive amid large bilateral investments.

Al-Shammari stressed that Khuzam Palace represents the beginning of Saudi-American relations before the meeting of US President Franklin Roosevelt with King Abdulaziz aboard the USS Quincy.

Saleh Al-Misnad Al-Tamimi, a researcher specializing in contemporary Saudi history, told Arab News that Khuzam Palace is one of the most important historical palaces in the modern era because of its main role in shaping the building blocks of historical Saudi-American relations.

Located in Al-Nazla Al-Yamaniya in the southeast of historic Jeddah, construction began in 1928 and was completed in 1932.

“The site of the palace was chosen for the good climate of the area,” the researcher said, adding that “some say that the reason for calling the palace ‘Khuzam’ is due to the presence of the Khuzam (tulip) plant in and around it, but no source or document proves the validity of this.”

Al-Tamimi said: “If we check Arabic sources for the meaning of ‘Khuzam,’ we will find that it means the leash with which the camel is led and tied to its nose. Moreover, the repetition of the name ‘Khuzam’ for the palaces of King Abdulaziz confirms that the name does not relate to the ‘Khuzam’ plant.”

He added that the construction of the palace was completed by builders from Jeddah under the supervision of Mohammad Awad bin Laden.

“The palace was built of stone bricks and its roof was constructed using Javanese wood,” said Al-Tamimi.

“About three years later, the Egyptian National Company built annexes to it that were made of reinforced concrete, including the palace that King Abdulaziz used to receive kings, heads of state, ministers, ambassadors and senior officials,” he added.

The palace also hosted the signing ceremonies for a border agreement with Kuwait and a reciprocal memorandum with Egypt regarding construction projects on July 29, 1940. Other notable events that took place at the palace include the renewal of the Treaty of Jeddah with the British government in 1943, the signing of the Dhahran Airfield Agreement with the US, a commercial agreement with Syria, and a friendship treaty with Pakistan.

The palace’s place in Saudi history even made its way onto the national currency. “The image of the palace's main gates was printed on the Saudi banknotes in 1955,” said Al-Tamimi.

RIYADH: France was keen to further develop its position as a privileged partner in Saudi Vision 2030 megaprojects, the French envoy to the Kingdom has revealed.

Speaking at an event in Riyadh to mark France’s National Day, Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Ludovic Pouille said French companies were eager to contribute to the implementation of the ambitious Saudi reform plan.

Riyadh Deputy Gov. Prince Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Abdulaziz was among guests attending Bastille Day celebrations at the ambassador's residence in Riyadh’s Diplomatic Quarter.

Pouille said: “This day is an opportunity to celebrate the Saudi French friendship. I would like to thank King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for their outstanding role in strengthening our strategic partnership.

“The visit of (French) President Emmanuel Macron to Jeddah on Dec. 4 last year enabled us to strengthen our political dialogue and to launch very ambitious cooperation in all areas: Four intergovernmental agreements were signed in key sectors of the Saudi Vision 2030, tourism, culture, digital, and space.

“On the economic front, during the Franco-Saudi business forum held on the sidelines of the president’s visit, 28 agreements were signed between French companies and Saudi institutions, worth more than SR50 billion ($13.31 billion).

“French companies want to be privileged partners in the megaprojects of the Saudi Vision 2030 plan: NEOM, AlUla, the Red Sea Project, Qiddiya, Amaala, Diriyah Gate, and the numerous development projects in the capital, in areas covering energy and infrastructure, tourism and entertainment, arts and culture, new technologies, and innovation.

“Through partnerships with Saudi companies, French companies bring their expertise, and contribute to the creation of qualified jobs for Saudis,” he added.

The envoy pointed out that the partnership established between France and Saudi Arabia in 2018 to develop the AlUla region in a sustainable and innovative way was an example of what the two nations could achieve together. And he noted that cooperation agreements in the heritage, infrastructure, smart mobility, security, water, and agriculture sectors had been strengthened following Macron’s visit.

Pouille said: “The joint decision to create the Villa Hegra, a Franco-Saudi cultural and artistic hub, will place AlUla at the summit of contemporary creation in the Middle East. I would like to salute the exceptional cooperation between the Royal Commission for AlUla, chaired by Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan, and the French Agency for AlUla Development, headed by Gerard Mestrallet.

“AlUla, a jewel of humanity, will become a world example of the enhancement of a 1,000-year-old heritage.”

He added that the July 14 national day celebrations offered an opportunity in France and all of its territories to recognize the values of the republic: Liberty, equality, and fraternity.

“These universal values have a particular resonance this year as war strikes Europe again for the first time in decades. At a time when Ukraine has been martyred for five months under Russian bombs, France, along with its EU and NATO allies, stands by the Ukrainian people.

“We will continue to support Ukraine until the Russian troops leave and Ukraine returns to full sovereignty.

“In the context of this global crisis, which has consequences all over the world, more than ever, we are counting on the historic relationship of friendship between France and Saudi Arabia.

“Together, we will continue to build a more secure Middle East and promote the values of peace, prosperity, and solidarity that unite us,” Pouille said.

The diplomat pointed out that as a major economic power, France was similar to Saudi Arabia in launching its own France 2030 investment plan for the future development of the country, particularly to support sectors of excellence including energy, automobile, aeronautics, and space.

“The strength of our economy makes France a very attractive place for foreign investment. France has held first place in Europe for the past three years, with 21 percent of all international investments creating jobs in Europe. I hope that Saudi investors will also seize these opportunities and choose France,” he added.

On the transformation of the Kingdom, the ambassador said: “Since my arrival in Saudi Arabia, I have been particularly impressed by the dynamism of Saudi youth and society as a whole.

“This year, the easing of (COVID-19) health restrictions have coincided with unprecedented cultural and sports programming in the Kingdom. France is proud to have participated in this momentum: A very strong French delegation was present at the first Red Sea Film Festival in December, French and Saudi orchestras played together for the first time; French and Saudi hip hop dancers performed together for the first time, the first music festival brought together French and Saudi artists, French DJs were present at the MDLBeast festival, and at the Formula One Grand Prix.

“I am convinced that art, music, and sport, which are universal languages by nature, are wonderful ways of bringing us together, French and Saudi.

“In a few days, the Saudi music legend Mohammed Abdou will sing at the Paris Opera. I hope that in the future France and Saudi Arabia will cooperate more in this field, at the heart of a common message of tolerance and openness,” Pouille added.

RIYADH: Gamers8 opened with a bang as a lineup of international and local artists took to the stage at the NXT LVL Mohammed Abdo Arena at Riyadh Boulevard City.

Saudi DJ and music producer El Fuego was greeted with cheers from the waiting audience. His sound, consisting of uplifting electronic beats and sensual, warrior-like vocals, made for an appropriate kickoff to the inaugural festival.

He was followed by Egyptian singer Amr Diab who performed his most popular singles, including “Amel Eih” and Agmal Eyoun.”

Concert attendee Saad Aldawood told Arab News: “The performances were awesome. I came for the atmosphere, but all the performances just made me want to fly. They know how to light up the crowd.

“I feel a higher level of quality in life (with these events) since I’m getting good entertainment from all over the world and my schedule is always full with different events that suit me and my friends and family.”

Diab collaborated in recent years with DJ and producer Marshmello, who will be performing on Aug. 11, on a track titled “Bayen Habeit.”

Uplifting the crowd next was Colombian singer J Balvin, dubbed the “Prince of Reggaeton,” credited with popularizing a music style that is unconventionally slower and minimalist compared to the brisk traditional nature of the Latin reggae genre.

The crowd moved along to his most popular tracks, including “Mi Gente,” “I Like It” and “RITMO” in collaboration with the Black Eyed Peas, who will be performing live on Aug. 25.

Ending the night were Swedish DJ Sebastian Ingrosso and Bosnian-Swedish DJ Salvatore Ganacci, who played back-to-back for the second time on a Saudi stage, preceded by their performance at the region’s biggest music festival MDLBEAST last year.

They weaved in pop music classics to their tracks like Bob Marley’s “Every Little Thing Gonna Be Alright” and ABBA’s “Man After Midnight.”

The festival is the first and biggest of its kind, spotlighting e-sports gaming teams and experts from all over the world to participate in a series of tournaments, including Fortnite and Dota 2, with a promise of a pool prize of $15 million.

The day’s festivities kicked off with the initiation of the tournament series featuring electronic sports teams from all over the globe. The opposing teams competed in the Gamers8 quarterfinals, allowing the winners to move to the semifinals that took place on the same day. Some of the more educational elements of the festival include workshops, webinars, and exhibitions led by global experts and specialists.

The festival launched, after weeks of public anticipation, in an effort to legitimize the Saudi gaming and e-sports field. The goal is to create a space where gamers can connect with their community and pursue their passions while contributing to the economy.

“I think (this event) gives an opportunity among the artists and even the Saudi people to meet on Saudi land, where they can demonstrate their perspectives, their art. I’m sure that, I would say, some percentage of the people here have never been to concerts or (to see) DJs. I think it’s a great opportunity for them to see different worlds,” another festival-goer, Moayed Abdulmohsen, told Arab News.

Upcoming gigs include performances by Balquees, rappers Nuss and Lil Pump, DJs Alex Walker and DJ Snake, Nanci Ajram and many others.