A modernising Saudi Arabia is determined to bring peace to the region

This is a time of dynamic change in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

We have often been criticised for not moving fast enough. But we are taking great strides towards becoming a modern, vibrant society with a diverse and competitive economy. The decision to lift the ban on women driving, for example, has opened up huge economic opportunities for the Kingdom.

We have come a long way since 1932 when the Saudi Arabia was first recognised as an independent, sovereign nation. At that time it was little more than a desert region with the various tribes united under the leadership of my grandfather, King Abdulaziz. This week Saudi Arabia marks the 88th anniversary of that final unification.

There have been some bumps along the way. Education of girls was vociferously opposed by some extreme elements of our society. But today more women than men graduate from Saudi universities. A J. Walter Thompson Women's Index study published in July showed that Saudi women are among the most entrepreneurial women in the world.

Saudi Arabia’s ongoing transformation has led to it assuming a leading political role in the region: already the largest economy in the region, in 2020, the Kingdom will be the first Middle Eastern country to host the G20. Only two weeks ago the Kingdom also saw the ground-breaking signing, in Jeddah, of a peace agreement between Ethiopia and Eritrea, which have been unable to resolve their considerable differences since war broke out in 1998. This followed an intensive period of mediation by Saudi Arabia.

Yet, Saudi Arabia is meeting the challenges of the destabilising and malign influence of Iran, fighting to ensure that countries in the region continue to respect international rules-based order. This is most notable in Lebanon, Syria, Palestine and of course Yemen, where the Iranian-backed Houthi militia overthrew the legitimate and UN-recognised Government.

Saudi Arabia deeply regrets the violence of a war caused by the intervention of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, where it is clear that only a political resolution can bring it to an end. Despite their talk of peace, the Houthis’ actions do not show a serious commitment to resolving the crisis: they refused to attend the recent UN-sponsored peace talks in Geneva brokered by the UN representative Martin Griffiths, begging the question of whether they and their backers in Tehran are really committed to ending this conflict.

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There is still time for a determined international response that stops Iran from spreading its malignant influence to every corner of the region - from the Hezbollah terrorist organization that has put a stranglehold on Lebanon’s future, to the economic and military muscle it has thrown behind the murderous regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

While Saudi Arabia takes responsibility in the region, the increasingly destabilising behaviour of Iran in the Middle East means Saudi Arabia’s balancing influence acting as a deterrent is more important than ever. Without it, the region would become increasingly hostile to the UK, threatening the British way of life.

Saudi Arabia has worked closely with the UK in the crucial area of counter-terrorism, and the relationship has been enhanced in recent years. In September 2017, the UK and Saudi Arabia announced a new military and security cooperation agreement. And the UK-Saudi Strategic Partnership Council was established during Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit to the UK in March 2018, to ensure that amongst other key areas of political and economic cooperation, both Kingdoms do all that they can to fight and prevent cross-border terror and save lives.

On the anniversary of our unification, we therefore look forward to the exciting developments taking place in our young and dynamic Kingdom, whilst recognising the growing responsibility of our leadership role in bringing peace and stability to the region, assuring the security of our regional and international allies.

HRH Prince Mohammed bin Nawaf Al Saud is Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to the United Kingdom