Saudi Crown Prince MBS arrives in Jordan on regional visit

Enterprise leaders and officers hope the go to will unblock not less than $3bn in funding initiatives by Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, King Abdullah II of Jordan and his son, Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah stand together for a photo in front of Saudi and Jordanian flags.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, left, King Abdullah II of Jordan, centre, and his son, Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah, at Queen Alia Worldwide Airport in Amman, Jordan on June 21, 2022 [Bandar Aljaloud/Saudi Royal Palace via AP]

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) has arrived in Jordan amid a thaw in relations following years of frayed relations with Amman.

The arrival of MBS on Tuesday marks the primary such go to in additional than 5 years by the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia and comes at a time when Jordan’s financial system is combating the financial knock-on results of the Ukraine conflict and the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This is a chance for a brand new section in Jordanian-Saudi ties and to proceed a programme of financial initiatives and new investments,” a senior Jordanian official informed the Reuters information company.

Enterprise leaders and officers hope the go to will unblock not less than $3bn of funding initiatives that Saudi Arabia dedicated to lately, however that by no means materialised.

MBS arrived in Cairo on the primary leg of his regional tour on Monday, a go to that comes forward of United States President Joe Biden’s journey to the area subsequent month.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi acquired MBS on the airport, a courtesy to the de facto Saudi chief, who's a gradual monetary backer of the Egyptian authorities.

The go to to Jordan is the second cease on MBS’s regional tour, with Turkey additionally a part of his tour.

Over the previous few many years, Jordan and Saudi Arabia had shut ties with the 2 monarchies cooperating on safety points and the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory. Nevertheless, their relationship has grown strained.

For Saudi Arabia, Jordan was by no means absolutely dedicated to its political causes, particularly the conflict on Yemen. Saudi-Jordanian ties then reached a low throughout former US President Donald Trump’s time period in workplace when Amman, a staunch US ally, felt that Riyadh’s shut relations with Trump’s administration undermined Jordan’s pivotal function in Arab-Israel peacemaking.

MBS’s assist for Trump’s “Deal of the Century” additionally sidelined Amman, which had historically performed a mediator function between Israel, the Palestinians, and the remainder of the Arab world.

Tensions have additionally simmered between the 2 sides over the Hashemite custodianship of holy websites in Jerusalem.

Jordanians are hoping the go to by MBS will put an finish to the strained relations and assist to enhance the tough financial scenario within the aid-reliant nation.

Saudi Arabia and Jordan additionally share deep considerations about Iran’s nuclear ambitions and what they see as Tehran’s destabilising function within the area, a Jordanian official mentioned.

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