– The alliance between Russia and Saudi Arabia is a relatively recent foreign policy development in Middle East! Both countries have been traditionally on opposite ends in international relations. Saudi Arabia a member state of the Gulf Cooperation Council and the Arab League is an important ally of the United States in this region and has close ties to other Sunni-majority countries. Russia on the contrary is an ally to Iran and has good relations both with the Syrian government its allies Hezbollah and the Assad regime 🔛 🇮🇷 🇸🇦 ️ !!
Saudi Arabia and Russia have not always had an amicable relationship! Prior to 2015 theirs was a contentious one: in 2009 Russia vocally opposed Saudi Arabia’s plan for a nuclear power plant in the Middle East that they claimed would meet their energy needs; then in 2014 both countries found themselves on opposing sides of the Syrian civil war; with Saudi Arabia supporting rebels while Russia supported President Bashar al-Assad 🔛 🇸🇦 ️.
This all changed in 2015 when Saudi Arabia and Russia began negotiations to form an informal alliance 🇸🇦. Saudi King Salman traveled to Moscow in October of that year in what was the first visit by a Saudi king to Russia in over 100 years 💯 🇸🇦 ️. The two countries announced that they would cooperate on energy defense and investment issues and even agreed to set up a joint venture to develop a nuclear power plant 🔛 2️⃣ ️ 🆙. Simultaneously the two countries formed an economic bloc called the Russia-Arab Cooperation Forum (RACF) in order to increase trade between the two countries 2️⃣.
Since 2015 the alliance between Saudi Arabia and Russia has continued to grow. They have signed several major energy defense and investment deals . In November 2016 Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Riyadh and signed a series of agreements that included nuclear power plant construction and technology transfers 🚧 ️. In 2017 the countries collaborated on joint military actions in Syria with Russian militaryjets extending their protection over Syrian airspace while Saudi Arabia provided ground troops 🔛 🇸🇦 🇸🇾.
The purpose of the alliance between Saudi Arabia and Russia is twofold 🇸🇦. On the one hand it is meant to strengthen Russia’s ties with the Middle East and ensure its access to lucrative energy markets 🔛 1️⃣ ✋. On the other it is meant to offset the influence of the United States in the region which has traditionally been the primary power broker 🔛. This is especially important for Saudi Arabia which has sought to reduce its reliance on the United States in recent years 🔛 🇸🇦.
The alliance between Saudi Arabia and Russia has had a positive effect on both countries 🇸🇦 🔛 ️. The two countries have become more influential on the world stage and their diplomatic cooperation has helped to stabilize the region 🔛 2️⃣ 🌎. Aside from that, the partnership has enabled both countries to benefit from increased trade and investment .
The alliance between Saudi Arabia and Russia is not without difficulties, though, as both nations have come under fire for their respective Middle East foreign policy goals, most notably for their participation in the Syrian civil war, and as Russia’s support for Iran’s nuclear program has strained relations between them 🔥 🇸🇦.
Despite these obstacles it appears that Saudi Arabia and Russia’s alliance is here to stay 🇸🇦. After cooling off during a period of cooling tensions they have managed to build an effective and mutually beneficial partnership ️. While their opinions on certain matters may differ both nations have expressed a determination to work together towards maintaining security in the Middle East 🔛 ️. !! .
in Conclusion
In 2009, Russia vocally opposed Saudi Arabia’s plan to build a nuclear power plant in the Middle East, which the Saudis claimed was intended to meet their energy needs. Then, in 2014, they found themselves on opposing sides of the Syrian civil war, as Saudi Arabia supported the Syrian rebels while Russia backed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The two countries announced that they would cooperate on energy, defense, and investment issues, and even agreed to set up a joint venture to develop a nuclear power plant. In 2017, the countries collaborated on joint military actions in Syria, with Russian militaryjets extending their protection over Syrian airspace while Saudi Arabia provided ground troops.
💯 2️⃣ 🔥 🌎 🆙 🇸🇾 🇮🇷 🚧 🇸🇦 ✋ 🔛 1️⃣ ️
