The Kingdom's Foreign Policy: A Balanced Stance and a Clear Objective
Saudi Arabia's foreign policy has always been characterized by a balanced stance and clarity of purpose. This is evident in its Arab, regional, and international relations and in positions that treat the Arab and Islamic dimensions as a fundamental basis for engagement with countries influential in international decision-making. Saudi foreign policy rests on four pillars: Gulf, Arab, Islamic, and international, representing expanding circles of engagement according to the assessment, sensitivity, and geopolitical dimensions of each situation. It is based on political, religious, geographic, historical, economic, and security principles, constants, and considerations. Its principal frameworks include good neighborliness and noninterference in other states' internal affairs; strengthening relations with Gulf and Arabian Peninsula countries; supporting relations with Arab and Islamic countries in ways that serve their shared interests and defend their causes; pursuing nonalignment and cooperative relations with friendly states; and playing an active role within regional and international organizations.
Distinctive International Significance:
Distinctive international significance: Since the reign of King Abdulaziz, Saudi Arabia has been distinguished by a consistent foreign policy following a defined course from which it does not deviate. Like its domestic policy, this foreign policy is drawn from the teachings of Islam and grounded in wisdom, reason, calm, and balance. The Kingdom's distinctive geographic location, religious standing, strong economy, and wise policies have earned it a prestigious international position, making it an important regional center of attraction with global respect and a good reputation. Geography strongly shapes states' foreign policies. Saudi Arabia's vast territory occupies a central position between Asia, Europe, and Africa, and within the Arab and Islamic worlds. This gives it particular strategic importance, especially for transport and communications between countries and peoples. It is also surrounded by three major international maritime passages: the Strait of Hormuz at the entrance to the Arabian Gulf, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, and the Suez Canal on the Red Sea side. Its extensive territory has required the allocation of billions of dollars to provide safety and security for citizens, leading it to conclude numerous agreements with neighboring countries on border demarcation and security. The Kingdom also enjoys distinctive religious standing as home to the Islamic holy sites in Makkah and Madinah: the direction of Muslim prayer, a destination close to Muslim hearts, and the birthplace of Islam's message. This has made it a leader of the Islamic world as well as the Arab world. Economically, it is the wealthiest country in the Middle East and the largest producer and exporter of oil, the lifeblood of global energy and industry, alongside its numerous natural resources. Such wealth enables a state to build strength in foreign policy. The Kingdom has sought to develop and diversify its income to avoid the disadvantages of relying on a single resource, oil. Here is a brief overview of its policies across the four circles. First: The Gulf circle. Since the Kingdom's establishment by its founding monarch, King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al Saud, may God have mercy on him, the Gulf has been one of Saudi foreign policy's most important circles. This reflects kinship, historical ties, geographic proximity, and similarities in political and economic systems. Recognizing their common ground and seeking to unify and coordinate shared policies, particularly in security and defense amid surrounding crises and conflicts, the leaders of the six Gulf states agreed to establish the Gulf Cooperation Council in 1981. It would provide an institutional framework for cooperative integration, fulfilling the six member states' official and popular ambitions across political, security, economic, social, scientific, cultural, and other fields. Saudi foreign policy in the Gulf is based on principles including:
The security and stability of the Gulf are the responsibility of the region's peoples and states.
GCC states have the right to defend their security and preserve their independence by means they consider appropriate and that are guaranteed by public international law, in the face of external or internal challenges.
Rejecting interference in these states' internal affairs and standing united against aggression toward any member, treating it as aggression against all.
Strengthening cooperation between the Kingdom and GCC states and developing relations across political, economic, security, social, cultural, and other fields by deepening and consolidating their ties.
Coordinating GCC foreign policies wherever possible, particularly on critical regional and international issues. Such coordination and cooperation were especially evident during regional crises, notably the Iran–Iraq War and Iraq's invasion of Kuwait.
Working diligently and seriously to resolve all disputes, particularly border disputes, between the region's countries through understanding based on brotherhood and good neighborliness.
Giving strong priority to economic coordination among GCC states through continued encouragement of unified economic policies and appropriate forms of integration, with particular attention to coordinating oil policies in their shared interests, since oil is a strategic commodity for these countries. Second: The Arab circle. Since its establishment, Saudi Arabia has recognized the importance of joint Arab action and unity. It therefore joined six other then-independent Arab states in a sincere effort to establish a mechanism governing Arab relations and collective action and serving these countries' interests and causes. This led to the founding of the Arab League and the signing of its charter in March 1945. Saudi foreign policy within its Arab circle is grounded in fixed principles, including:
The inseparable connection between Arab identity and Islam. The Kingdom is both the cradle of Islam and a wellspring of Arab identity, a point consistently affirmed since the reign of the founding King Abdulaziz—may God bless his memory—and throughout the reigns of his sons.
The necessity of Arab solidarity, requiring coordination among Arab states to unify their positions and mobilize all their capabilities and resources in the service of Arab interests.
Realism, expressed by avoiding slogans and political one-upmanship that harm the Arab world's security and stability, and refraining from interference in Arab states' internal affairs.
Commitment to Arab brotherhood through support and assistance in all forms. Given its standing and credibility in the Arab world and the balance and rationality of its policies, the Kingdom has played an important role as an impartial, accepted mediator in resolving internal and regional Arab disputes. Motivated by its commitment to preserving Arab solidarity, it has undertaken major reconciliation efforts to remove secondary disagreements that weaken Arab unity. In this context, the Saudi government has given particular attention to the Palestinian cause as the foremost Arab and Muslim cause and a central element of its foreign policy. Since King Abdulaziz Al Saud's reign—may God have mercy on him—the Kingdom has shouldered the defense of the Palestinian cause in every international forum. It has never neglected or hesitated to support it under any pretext, instead dedicating itself to securing solutions or a just settlement. Third: The Islamic circle. Islam has always been one of the most important influences in setting Saudi foreign-policy priorities. Since its establishment, the Kingdom has mobilized and dedicated its capabilities and resources to serving the Islamic world's causes and strengthening its cohesion and solidarity, based on a shared faith and the conviction that Islamic mutual support is the path to restoring Muslims' standing and dignity. To achieve Islamic solidarity, the Kingdom took the initiative with fellow Islamic countries to establish governmental and nongovernmental Islamic institutions, including the Muslim World League in 1962 and the Organization of the Islamic Conference in 1969, later renamed the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, hosting both headquarters. This effort stems from an integrated understanding of Islamic solidarity encompassing collective security for Islamic states, peaceful settlement of disputes among them, economic assistance for Islamic states and communities with limited resources, urgent relief for disaster-stricken Islamic countries, advocacy for Muslims and their causes, and material and moral support for Muslim communities everywhere through generous contributions to mosque construction and Islamic cultural centers. Saudi foreign policy within the Islamic circle may be described as pursuing these objectives: 1. Achieving comprehensive Islamic solidarity. 2. Opening new avenues of economic cooperation among Islamic countries to strengthen their capabilities and resources at different levels. 3. Confronting the cultural encroachment and ideological incursions threatening the Islamic world in various forms. 4. Developing the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and supporting its performance so it can address the Islamic world's challenges more effectively. 5. Activating the role of Islamic states within the new world order. 6. Supporting Muslim minorities in every country and defending their legitimate rights in accordance with public international law. 7. Presenting the true, positive image of Islam and its tolerant law, and defending it against unfounded allegations such as terrorism and human rights violations. Fourth: The international circle. Internationally, Saudi Arabia seeks balanced relations with major powers, connected through a network of interests reflecting its growing pivotal role in the Arab and Islamic worlds. Through these relations, it has sought to broaden its international engagement by interacting with centers of influence in global politics. The Kingdom takes pride in being a founding member of the United Nations in 1945, reflecting its deep conviction that world peace is a foreign-policy objective. It consistently calls for more transparent foundations of justice in political, economic, social, and other relations between states, considering this the only path to global prosperity, well-being, and stability. Accordingly, the Kingdom does not regard force as a foreign-policy tool, while affirming the right to legitimate self-defense as a rule of international law. Believing in the importance of the United Nations, its specialized agencies, and international organizations generally in advancing global society across all fields, foremost international peace and security, the Kingdom has joined these organizations and sought to support the international system through every material and moral means and through active participation. Saudi foreign policy internationally rests on clear, established principles, including:
Engagement with the international community through adherence to the UN Charter, the international treaties and agreements the Kingdom has joined, and the rules of international law governing the general conduct of states and civilized societies.
Commitment to refraining from the use of force in international relations and interference in others' internal affairs, condemning violence and every means that undermines international peace and security, and affirming peaceful coexistence among the world's states.
Maintaining stable global oil markets and seeking to develop international trade on fair principles and the foundations of free-market economics.
Giving Saudi foreign policy an ethical character through the principle of supporting victims of natural disasters, displaced people, and refugees in many countries. The fundamental principles of Saudi foreign policy: In conclusion, its overall constants and fundamental principles can be summarized as follows:
Alignment with the principles of Islamic Sharia, which serves as Saudi Arabia's constitution.
Respecting sovereignty and noninterference in any state's internal affairs, while rejecting any attempt to interfere in the Kingdom's own affairs.
Working for international peace and justice and rejecting force, violence, and any practices that threaten world peace or entrench injustice and tyranny.
Condemning and rejecting global terrorism in all its forms and methods and affirming Islam's innocence of all terrorist practices.
Adhering to and respecting international law, treaties, and international and bilateral charters, both within and outside international organizations.
Defending Arab and Islamic causes in international forums and continuously supporting them through political, diplomatic, and economic means.
Nonalignment and rejection of blocs and alliances that undermine international peace and security, while respecting peoples' right to self-determination and their legitimate rights of self-defense.
Implementing a balanced policy on oil production and marketing, given the Kingdom's weight as the largest producer and holder of the world's largest oil reserves.
