Will Pakistan-Saudi pact impact India?

he killing of Jamaal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018 led to Riyadh facing global flak. US President Joe Biden promised to hold Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman accountable. Everything changed a year later when the US began courting Riyadh to stem the Chinese challenge to its domination in the Middle East. Biden's predecessor, Donald Trump, had negotiated the Abraham Accords which resulted in the UAE and Bahrain normalizing ties with Israel. Biden had to do better and his target was Saudi Arabia.

- HARSHA KAKAR

In July 2022, well before the Hamas attack on Israel, during Biden's visit to Riyadh, Mohammed bin Salman demanded a NATO-type defence pact in return for establishing ties with Israel. Recognition of Israel by Riyadh could change the Middle East landscape.

The US suggested similar treaties as existing with a few Asian nations, including Japan and South Korea, or establishing a naval base similar to Bahrain. These actions could avoid Congressional approval, which would then have been difficult. Washington also offered to designate Saudi Arabia as a non-NATO ally, akin to Israel.

But the Saudis sought assured guarantees to deter attacks such as the September 2019 Yemeni missile strikes on its oil facilities. For Biden, Riyadh recognizing Tel Aviv would have been a diplomatic victory. The Palestinians were aghast. Such an act would reduce support from Arab states and signal the end of a Palestinian state.

In May 2024, months after the Hamas attack and Israel's retaliation, Washington again attempted to push another deal with the Saudis. As per CNN, this deal had three components. The first was a package of agreements between the US and Saudi Arabia, the second, normalization of relations between Riyadh and Israel, and the third was a pathway to a Palestinian state.

The package of agreements would include security, economic and technological guarantees, as well as support for its civilian nuclear programme. This also fell through because Israel refused to discuss the creation of a Palestinian State.

Riyadh had rolled out the red carpet for Trump in his first international visit this year hoping for a security deal, but none was offered. The US currently has troops deployed in the Prince Sultan Air Base outside Riyadh. This left the Saudis disappointed.