Saudi Arabia prepares for post-Obama era

Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir arrived earlier this week in Washington DC where he met with senior officials.

The Saudi minister’s visit comes only one week after a similar visit by Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, which experts believe comes as part of the kingdom’s efforts to rebuild US-Saudi relations after Obama’s era.

Al-Jubeir met Robert Malley, the US president’s senior adviser on the fight against Daesh, and had a separate meeting with Senator Mitch McConnell. Both meetings discussed bilateral relations and political developments in the region.

The minister also met with a number of American intellectuals, researchers and journalists on Monday and discussed with them the goals behind the deputy crown prince’s visit and the Saudi’s vision for 2030.

A former member of the Saudi Shura Council Dr. Mohammed Zulfa said in an interview with Quds Press that the Saudi officials’ visit to Washington aims to rebuild US-Saudi relations in the post- Obama era.

“Saudi Arabia feels betrayed by the current US administration” Zulfa said, explaining that “under the Obama administration very serious developments in the region took place including the emergence of the Islamic State [Daesh], as well as the Iranian and then the Russian intervention.”

“With all these developments, the Kingdom has been feeling that either the Obama administration was satisfied or incapable to deal with them,” he said.  “Even when the Iranian threat reached the Saudi backyard in Yemen, the kingdom found the American position weak, and was forced to lead a military campaign there alone”.