Beyond the Holy Alliance: Decoding US-Saudi Relations in a Multipolar World
Contemporary US-Saudi relations have outgrown the old "security for oil" transaction. Today, Riyadh is fully embracing a hedging strategy, playing the role of a confident middle power in a multipolar world.
The
2017 "Arab Islamic American Summit" in Riyadh wasn’t just a photo
opportunity for Donald Trump; it was a masterclass in weaponizing religious
discourse for foreign policy. Washington’s persistent attempt to draw a hard
line between "moderate Muslims" and "extremists" has always
been notoriously fluid. In practice, this framing isn't about theology—it’s
about convenience, molded to fit whichever geopolitical foe happens to be in
the crosshairs.
1. The Politics of Piety: Weaponizing the "Sacred" for Geopolitical Gain
In
political science, when a secular leader invokes the cosmic battle of
"Good vs. Evil," they are attempting to rebrand a mundane clash of
interests into a moral crusade.
This
narrative has constantly evolved. We have moved past the post-9/11 "War on
Terror" against al-Qaeda into a refashioned "anti-extremism"
playbook designed specifically to contain Iran. Washington leverages Saudi
Arabia’s identity as the leader of the "Moderate Sunni" world to
create an ideological buffer against revolutionary Shiite Iran. By playing the
role of the ultimate referee on "religious correctness," secular
governments aren't protecting faith; they are manufacturing the legitimacy
needed to sell weapons, build military bases, and lock Riyadh into Washington's
orbit—all while using religious bias as a shield against global criticism.
2. RIP Huntington: The Illusion of the "Clash of Civilizations"
The
pretext of a "civilizational alliance" against extremism completely
shatters Samuel P. Huntington’s famous Clash of Civilizations thesis. Reality
has repeatedly proven that religious fault lines don't dictate alliances;
strategic pragmatism does.
The
ultimate mic-drop to Huntington’s theory is the 2023 China-brokered Saudi-Iran
peace deal (the Beijing Declaration). The fact that Sunni-aligned Saudi Arabia
and sanction-hit Shiite Iran could restore diplomatic ties—mediated by a
secular, communist-ruled China—proves that economic and security survival
easily trumps holy wars. Riyadh chose to de-escalate with Tehran to secure
regional stability and attract foreign investment for its Vision 2030
mega-projects. This is a triumph of neorealism, showing that religion is merely
the "software" used to fire up the masses, while the
"hardware" driving state action is cold, hard national interest.
3. The Multipolar Pivot: From Junior Partner to Global Balancer
Contemporary
US-Saudi relations have outgrown the old "security for oil"
transaction. Today, Riyadh is fully embracing a hedging strategy, playing the
role of a confident middle power in a multipolar world.
·
Energy
as a Weapon:
Led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), Saudi Arabia has
unapologetically used OPEC+ to cut oil production, directly defying the Biden
administration and aggravating US inflation. This sends a clear message: Riyadh
no longer views itself as a subordinate vassal. It is a sovereign power calling
the shots on global energy prices to serve its own ledger.
·
Diplomatic
Diversification:
Riyadh is actively building a geopolitical safety net. By joining the BRICS
bloc, engaging with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), importing
Chinese AI and 5G tech, and buying arms from France and Russia, Saudi Arabia is
constructing a multilateral security ecosystem. This mitigates the risk of
being strong-armed by Washington over human rights issues, such as the fallout
from the Jamal Khashoggi assassination.
·
The
Gaza Curveball:
The ongoing conflict in Gaza is the ultimate stress test, proving that
religious discourse remains a double-edged sword. Despite its ruthless
pragmatism, Riyadh had to hit pause on normalizing ties with Israel. Why?
Because MBS must lean on his title as the "Custodian of the Two Holy
Mosques" to maintain legitimacy. It’s a stark reminder that while the
state plays the game of realpolitik, it cannot entirely ignore the religious
sentiments of the Arab street.
The
modern dynamics of the US-Saudi alliance decode a fundamental truth of
international politics: religion, culture, and ideology are often just borrowed
props—discursive tools used to manufacture temporary legitimacy or mobilize the
masses.
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