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Saudi Arabia
Arab Unity
The concept of a single Arab state stretching from the Atlantic
Ocean to the Persian Gulf never had much appeal within Saudi Arabia.
Most Saudis interpreted Arab unity to mean that the seventeen
principal Arab governments should strive for solidarity on major
regional and international issues; respect the individual political
and social differences of each Arab country; and refrain from
interference in one another's internal affairs. This view of Arab
unity was conservative in comparison with the ideas advocated
by Arab intellectuals and political leaders in Egypt, Iraq, Libya,
and Syria, as well as within the Palestinian movement. The differing
perspectives engendered frequent ideological contests, especially
with Egypt, the most populous Arab country, which was located
across the Gulf of Aqaba and the Red Sea from Saudi Arabia. The
most severe strain in SaudiEgyptian relations occurred between
1957 and 1967 when Gamal Abdul Nasser was president of Egypt.
Nasser was a charismatic leader whose Arab nationalist rhetoric
included widely publicized denunciations of the Al Saud as corrupt
rulers and subservient puppets of the United States. His government
supported numerous revolutionary groups opposed to the Saudi regime
and its regional allies. In addition, Riyadh believed that Nasser
was involved in major political upheavals such as the military
overthrow of monarchies in Iraq (1958), Yemen (1962), and Libya
(1969).
The June 1967 War represented a defeat for radical Arab nationalists
and contributed directly to a rapprochement between Saudi Arabia
and Egypt. Initially, the normalization of relations proceeded
gradually. After Anwar as Sadat became president of Egypt in 1970,
however, close economic and political ties between the two countries
developed rapidly. At Saudi urging, Sadat expelled Soviet military
advisers from Egypt, halted Cairo's assistance to revolutionary
groups operating in the Arabian Peninsula, and patched up strained
relations with Syria. During the October 1973 War, Saudi Arabia
supported Egypt by taking the unprecedented step of initiating
an embargo on oil shipments to the United States and European
countries that backed Israel. Subsequently, Riyadh encouraged
Egyptian participation in United States-mediated negotiations
aimed at obtaining phased Israeli withdrawals from Egyptian and
Syrian territory occupied in 1967.
Although the Saudis valued the close relations they had achieved
with Egypt by 1978, they were not prepared for a separate Egyptian
peace treaty with Israel. The Saudis genuinely believed that resolving
the grievances of the Palestinians was an essential requirement
of a durable peace. Thus, they reacted negatively to news that
Egypt and Israel, while attending a summit meeting at the United
States presidential retreat of Camp David, Maryland, had reached
agreement on terms for a comprehensive peace. Riyadh refused to
support the Egyptian decision and joined with the other Arab states
in condemning the initiative. After the Camp David Accords were
signed in March 1979, Saudi Arabia broke diplomatic relations
with Egypt and cut off economic aid. Sadat responded by broadcasting
anti-Saudi speeches as vitriolic as any uttered by Nasser in the
1960s.
The cumulative impact of major developments such as the Soviet
invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, the outbreak of the IranIraq
War in 1980, Sadat's assassination in 1981, the regional consequences
of Israel's 1982 invasion of Lebanon, and persistent tensions
with Libyan leader Muammar al Qadhafi encouraged Saudi leaders
to reevaluate their policy of isolating Egypt. However, Riyadh
was reluctant to undertake any bold initiatives toward normalizing
relations with Cairo. Instead, it provided tacit approval for
efforts by Iraq, Jordan, and Sudan to rehabilitate Egypt. Once
an inter-Arab consensus had been achieved, including a decision
to readmit Egypt to the League of Arab States, the Saudis felt
comfortable that they could improve their ties to Egypt without
encountering charges that they were betraying Arab nationalism.
Saudi Arabia finally restored diplomatic relations with Egypt
in November 1987. The cementing of the renewed ties took place
during the Persian Gulf War, when Egypt sent a contingent of armed
forces to Saudi Arabia to help defend the kingdom against an Iraqi
attack.
Algeria, Iraq, Libya, Syria, and the PDRY were the other countries
that the Saudis believed espoused a radical form of nationalism.
These five states consistently criticized Saudi Arabia's ties
to the United States during the 1970s and 1980s. Of all these
countries, relations with Libya were the most strained. Libyan
leader Qadhafi frequently denounced the Al Saud dynasty as corrupt
and illegitimate and openly called for its overthrow. The Saudis
were convinced that Qadhafi supported terrorist attacks on their
diplomats and other Arab envoys and financed antigovernment groups
in Egypt, Jordan, Sudan, and Tunisia. As part of the kingdom's
propaganda campaign designed to counter Qadhafi's verbal assaults,
in the mid-1980s King Fahd persuaded the Saudi ulama to declare
Qadhafi a heretic.
Data as of December 1992
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