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MbS Embarks on Tour of Gulf Neighbors Ahead of Regional Summit in Riyadh
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman arrives at the airport in the Omani capital Muscat on Dec. 6, 2021. (AFP via Getty Images)

MbS Embarks on Tour of Gulf Neighbors Ahead of Regional Summit in Riyadh

Saudi royal to arrive in Doha Wednesday, for first visit since lifting blockade of Qatar

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS) landed in Oman on Monday, the first stop of a regional tour ahead of a Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit in Riyadh on December 14.

He will also visit all the other GCC members: Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait. It is MbS’s first visit to Oman since his appointment as crown prince in June 2017.

Informed Saudi sources revealed to The Media Line that “the agenda of the Gulf tour includes discussing the Iranian nuclear and missile file with all its components and repercussions, in a way that contributes to achieving regional and international security and stability.

“The Saudi crown prince’s tour emphasizes the principles of good neighborliness, respect for UN resolutions and international legitimacy, and sparing the region from all destabilizing activities, in addition to finding a comprehensive political solution to the Yemeni crisis based on the [GCC’s 2011] Gulf initiative and its executive mechanism, the outcomes of the comprehensive Yemeni National Dialogue Conference and Security Council Resolution 2216,” the sources indicated.

“During the tour, the importance of lifting the human suffering of the Yemeni people, developments on the Iraqi arena in light of the results of the recent parliamentary elections, the situation in Syria and Libya, developments in the Palestinian cause, and raising the pace of cooperation, including security, defense, economy, trade, investment, energy, and communications between the two sides will be emphasized,” according to the sources.

“Gulf disputes will also be discussed, especially those between Bahrain and Qatar, especially since relations between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi on the one hand, and [Riyadh and] Doha on the other, are improving, but the situation with Manama is different,” the informed Saudi sources said.

Saudi newspapers, quoting their sources, reported, “The visit of MbS to the Sultanate of Oman will witness the opening of the first land border between the two countries, passing through the Empty Quarter desert, and it will be more than 800 km [500 miles] long, and it will witness the signing of economic agreements between the two countries, and the activation of a number of agreements.”

Abdullah al-Marri, a Qatari political analyst, told The Media Line, “This visit is considered important for the Saudi crown prince, especially after the AlUla agreement and the return of relations between Saudi Arabia and Qatar to their previous track.”

“We are waiting for the results of the first official visit of the Saudi crown prince since the signing of the AlUla agreement and after nearly four years of severing relations with Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt, and it is certain that the agenda will be on the security of the region and strategic projects,” Marri said.

Omani journalist Ahmed Jawhar, who specializes in political affairs, told The Media Line, “Omani-Saudi relations are improving at a rapid pace. The first visit of the new sultan [Haitham bin Tariq] was to Riyadh [in July], after the death of Sultan Qaboos, and a joint coordination council was established between the two countries, and dozens of important agreements in economic aspects, political, security, etc. were signed.”

He continued, “The opening of a land border between the two countries is a dream for the two peoples. In the past, we were forced to enter the Emirates and then enter Saudi Arabia. Now it will be direct to Saudi Arabia. Work has been done to establish this line very quickly.

“The Sultanate of Oman is now heading toward better relations with the GCC countries, which will greatly benefit the Omani economy, and Oman has its strong say in the region and enjoys a balanced policy that enables it to be a mediator in all disputes,” Jawhar said.

Bahraini political analyst Khaled Ahmed stressed to The Media Line that “the visit of the Saudi crown prince to Bahrain is not his first, the relations between the two countries are very extensive, and mutual visits are also numerous.

“At the beginning of the week, the Bahraini crown prince was in Jeddah to attend the Formula 1 race, and he met the Saudi crown prince. Three days did not pass and the Saudi crown prince is in Bahrain. These relations between the two countries are exceptional,” he said.

“Bahrain is committed to the agreements of the [GCC’s January 2021] AlUla Summit, and the king of Bahrain has repeatedly emphasized this. There was no talk of Saudi mediation between Bahrain and Qatar, but the situation in the region will certainly be the focus of the Saudi crown prince’s visit,” he added.

“The disputes between Bahrain and Qatar are different [from than those between Saudi Arabia and Qatar] and have other dimensions, but we hope that they will be resolved soon,” Ahmed said.

Mutlaq al-Sman, a prominent Saudi political expert, told The Media Line, “The visit of the Saudi crown prince to the region comes from the great role that Saudi Arabia plays in maintaining the security and stability of the Gulf and Arab countries.

“There are major developments in the Yemeni issue, and the coalition to restore legitimacy has begun a major operation to eliminate the Houthi [rebels] and the source of ballistic missile launches [on Saudi Arabia], and the [world power’s] ongoing [nuclear] negotiations with Iran in Geneva do not seem to be going on the right track,” he said.

“Gulf disputes are easy to resolve. The Gulf Cooperation Council countries have witnessed many disputes previously, and they were resolved within the Gulf house,” he added.

“The Gulf states are also on the cusp of a strong economic boom, there are major agreements between the GCC states, and bilateral agreements as well, and we must move quickly to implement all mega economic projects,” Sman said.

From Kuwait, Hammam al-Enezi, a journalist specializing in political affairs, confirmed to The Media Line that “the visit of the Saudi crown prince comes at a sensitive stage in the history of the region, and there are changes at all levels, and a partial return to violence.

“For us, the Iranian and Iraqi issues are the most important, because Kuwait is located near these two countries. What will happen in Iran affects Kuwait, and the instability of Iraq in the north also affects us,” Enezi said.

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