Sunday, 21 June 2015 | 4 Ramadan 1436 AH

A Saudi-Russia emerging alliance

Abdulrahman Al-Rashid

Published — Sunday 21 June 2015 | http://www.arabnews.com/columns/news/765166

Last week I attended a closed seminar organized by The Washington Institute for Near East Policy in the US capital. It was mainly about the crises in Syria, Iraq and Yemen. The looming nuclear deal between Washington and Tehran dominated the discussion, since it represents an important political turning point. Some of the participants asked about reactions toward this deal and its potential political and military consequences. Others anticipated that the deal would provoke countries in the region, encouraging them to work on their own nuclear programs, “without stopping to get what Iran got in the nuclear deal.”
This explains the great interest in Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit to Russia last week. From the visit, it was clear that Saudi Arabia has decided to move into the nuclear club, by building 16 nuclear reactors, while giving Russia the biggest role in operating the reactors. This does not necessarily mean that the Kingdom’s focus is on armament, but it surely means that Riyadh has decided to enter the nuclear scene. Last month, the Saudi education minister signed off scholarships for 1,000 students to study energy technologies, including nuclear energy.