By Dr. Naif Al-Otaibi
\nThe author serves as the Press Attache\u0301 at the Embassy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Pakistan.<\/p>\n
Islamabad, Saturday, 22 February 2025 (TNS): Following last week\u2019s meeting in Riyadh between the U.S. Secretary of State and his Russian counterpart\u2014a meeting that captured global attention and fueled optimism for reconciliation between the two great powers and an end to the war between Russia and Ukraine\u2014a question has been on many people\u2019s minds: \u201cWhy does the world trust Riyadh?\u201d<\/p>\n
Why, for so many years, have countries\u2014both from the East and the West\u2014turned to Riyadh to resolve disputes, defuse tensions and crises, and help bring wars to an end? Some may argue that this is due to Saudi Arabia\u2019s political weight. However, when even major world powers with significant political influence\u2014some of whom are members of the UN Security Council and hold veto power\u2014turn to Riyadh for assistance in ending conflicts and wars, it becomes evident that the matter goes beyond mere political clout.<\/p>\n
Others may claim that the world trusts Saudi Arabia because of its strong economy and influential financial standing, which make it a powerful and widely accepted mediator. Yet, when we see other nations with far larger economies and GDPs that do not enjoy the same reputation and standing as Riyadh, we realize that this trust stems from deeper factors\u2014ones that have been cultivated over time, not gained overnight.<\/p>\n
The truth is that Saudi Arabia possesses immense political influence, making it a trusted mediator in resolving international disputes. However, this trust has not emerged from thin air; it is the result of decades of diplomatic efforts, during which Riyadh has demonstrated integrity, honesty, and a sincere commitment to achieving peace and stability\u2014regionally and globally\u2014even at great cost. The world trusts Riyadh because of its neutrality, fairness in handling various issues, and its ability to provide sustainable and just solutions. This has earned it the respect of opposing parties and made it a focal point for global diplomacy, where world leaders meet, seek its counsel, and rely on its contributions to resolving disputes and bridging differences. This, in turn, has made Riyadh an accepted and respected mediator by all conflicting sides.<\/p>\n
And because history serves as the best witness, let\u2019s look at some historical events that reinforce what we have discussed and answer the key question: \u201cWhy does the world trust Riyadh?\u201d<\/p>\n
For many years, Riyadh has played a crucial role in ending international conflicts. It was instrumental in bringing an end to Lebanon\u2019s 15-year civil war through the \u201cTaif Agreement\u201d in 1989, which laid the foundation for peace and security in Lebanon. In 1990, Saudi Arabia stood firmly with Kuwait when it was invaded, helping repel the Iraqi aggression, restoring Kuwait\u2019s sovereignty, and mobilizing vast international support for its liberation. Riyadh also played a key role in reconciling Morocco and Algeria after years of political tension during the 1980s, leading to the restoration of diplomatic ties, the exchange of ambassadors, the reopening of borders, and the removal of travel visa requirements between the two neighboring nations.<\/p>\n
Moreover, in 1980, Saudi Arabia helped ease tensions between Syria and Jordan when the former Assad regime deployed over 20,000 troops and 600 tanks along the Jordanian border under the pretext that Jordan was harboring Syrian opposition leaders. The crisis ended with Syria withdrawing its forces following diplomatic mediation led by the late Saudi Foreign Minister, Prince Saud Al-Faisal, whose efforts helped defuse tensions and bolster regional stability.<\/p>\n
These examples illustrate how Riyadh has leveraged its political influence, economic strength, and status as a major energy producer to halt wars, resolve conflicts, and defuse crises between nations. This has granted Riyadh a unique position of influence, allowing it to act as a neutral and trustworthy mediator that enjoys the respect of both governments and people worldwide.<\/p>\n
Additionally, Riyadh has played a vital role in hosting peace conferences and interfaith dialogues, spearheading peace initiatives that reaffirm its role as a global advocate for peace and stability. Through these efforts, Riyadh has cemented its position as a credible and trusted force for peace\u2014one that the world continues\u00a0to\u00a0rely\u00a0on.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By Dr. Naif Al-Otaibi The author serves as the Press Attache\u0301 at the Embassy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Pakistan. Islamabad, Saturday, 22 February 2025 (TNS): Following last week\u2019s meeting in Riyadh between the U.S. Secretary of State and his Russian counterpart\u2014a meeting that captured global attention and fueled optimism for reconciliation between […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":34,"featured_media":121102,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[54,23],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-121101","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-islamabad","category-national"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tns.world\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/121101","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tns.world\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tns.world\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tns.world\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/34"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tns.world\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=121101"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/tns.world\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/121101\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":121105,"href":"https:\/\/tns.world\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/121101\/revisions\/121105"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tns.world\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/121102"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tns.world\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=121101"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tns.world\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=121101"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tns.world\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=121101"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}