Algeria and Saudi Arabia have a “total convergence of views” on all issues of common interest and are strengthening their bilateral relations.
Between Riyadh and Algiers, the current goes rather well. The two countries, whose bilateral relations were not always in good shape, now claim an almost perfect agreement on all issues of common interest. And it is the Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, who makes it known at the end of his visit to Algeria on Tuesday, where he was received by the President of the Republic, Abdelmadjid Tebboune.
“I noted, as usual, a total convergence of the views of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Algeria, and I saw His Excellency the President’s commitment to moving forward to strengthen all the areas of cooperation between our two countries, thanks to the many opportunities offered in this context, through the strengthening of trade, which has seen a constant increase in recent years, “said the head of Saudi diplomacy .
A statement by which Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud seems to seek to reassure on the state of bilateral relations and to silence the rumors according to which Algiers would have risen against Riyadh, which had not invited it to a meeting organized in mid- April in Jeddah on Syria’s return to the Arab League. A meeting which brought together nine Arab countries: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Jordan. Far from any other consideration, good diplomatic practices would have liked Algeria to be the first to be invited to this meeting, which has chaired the Council of the Arab League since the 31st summit held in November 2022 in Algiers, and which has always worked for the reintegration of Syria into this organization and for the unification of the Arab ranks.
“Contacts and exchanges”
If no official protest has been raised on the part of Algeria, the succession of visits by senior Saudi officials to Algiers sounds like Riyadh’s desire to rectify the situation. Indeed, before Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, it was the President of the Shura Council of Saudi Arabia, Dr Abdullah bin Mohamed bin Ibrahim Al Sheikh, who was dispatched to Algiers on May 2 to reassure “the quality of relations uniting the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Algeria”, as well as on “the fraternal ties” between King Salman ben Abdelaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince Mohammed Ben Salman and President Abdelmajid Tebboune.
This senior Saudi dignitary had affirmed that his visit was part “in a context which requires more contacts and exchanges” . In all likelihood, the visit of the Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs is in the same spirit of strengthening bilateral consultation, less than ten days from the holding of the 32nd session of the Arab Summit, on May 19, in Riyadh, which will see the Saudi Arabia to succeed Algeria at the head of the Council of the Arab League.
Also, it should be noted that Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud came to Algeria two days after the return of Syria to the pan-Arab organization, recorded on May 7 under the aegis of Saudi Arabia. This return, after 11 years of exclusion, has long been demanded by Algiers. Saudi Arabia’s change of position on Syria is part of a global strategy, implemented for months by Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman to establish peace in the Middle East.
Conflict in Yemen
The “total convergence of views” between Riyadh and Algiers is explained by this paradigm shift of Saudi Arabia in the settlement of its disputes with the countries of the region. This pragmatic approach is clearly dictated by the ambition displayed by Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman to make his country a regional economic power. As any economic development requires security, Saudi Arabia is fully committed to a peace process with its immediate neighbourhood. In addition to Syria’s return to the Arab League, the Saudi monarchy restored its broken relations with Iran in 2016, in the wake of the proxy war between these two countries in Yemen.
Burst in 2014, the war in Yemen pits pro-government forces, supported since 2015 by a military coalition of Arab countries led by Saudi Arabia, against Houthi rebels, supported by Iran. Showing its desire to end this war after the normalization of its relations with Iran, Saudi Arabia sent a delegation to Sanaa last April to discuss the peace process with the Houthi rebels, who control, among others, the capital of Yemen. Algeria, which refused to take part in the coalition led by Saudi Arabia, can only applaud this step and work, thanks to its good relations with Iran, to bring this peace process to a successful conclusion in Yemen and indirectly allow this bruised country to regain its place within the Arab League.
The convergence of views on these issues and on many others, such as the Palestinian cause, thus seems to have strengthened bilateral relations between these two countries. Solid relationships that could not be altered by a few little cold snaps they would have experienced at times. Moreover, President Abdelmadjid Tebboune chose Saudi Arabia for his first working visit abroad in February 2020, just two months after his inauguration.
