What's behind Blinken's visit to Saudi Arabia?

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit to Saudi Arabia has become an extraordinary event driven by two fundamental transformations.

The first revolves around China's rising influence and role in the region and the world, as it has become one of the largest buyers of Saudi oil.

The second transformation involves excluding the previous formula that governed the relationship between the two countries: Security in exchange for oil.

As Blinken arrives in Saudi Arabia burdened by strained relations between Riyadh and Washington, his invitation to normalize ties between Saudi Arabia and Israel on the eve of the visit has given it a broader dimension, especially amidst discussions of resuming nuclear negotiations with Iran.

So, what is on the agenda of the US Secretary of State as he meets with Saudi officials and participates in a meeting of the international coalition against the Islamic State on Wednesday and Thursday?

- Establishing normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia is a prominent topic in the discussions due to the interests it holds for the United States. However, Blinken does not harbor any illusions that the normalization step is within reach.

 

- One of Blinken's goals is to affirm that the US remains a strong player in the region and will not leave a void filled by other competitors, as stated by a US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State. This will be achieved by influencing oil prices, as Washington is reluctant to reduce its oil production.

However, the declared objective of the US Secretary of State's visit to Saudi Arabia is to enhance the strained relations between Washington and its ally, which have been affected by several issues.

Additionally, efforts for peace in Yemen are also expected to occupy a significant portion of the discussions conducted by Blinken in Saudi Arabia.

But how will Saudi Arabia respond to all these issues?

The kingdom has already preceded the visit of the US official by implementing an additional voluntary reduction in its crude oil production by one million barrels per day starting next July.