Opinion: Saudi Arabia and its Pacific foreign policy

Since the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman came into power, Saudi Arabia has sought to enhance their leverage in various regions in the world. Relying on its petrodollar, this rentier state has ambitious foreign policies and attempts to be recognised as a global actor rather than a regional power in the Middle East or merely the guardian of holy sites of Islam.

After the Crown Prince came into power, he proposed the 2030 vision to express Saudi Arabia's ambitions and the Kingdom's strengths and capabilities from a global perspective. To fulfil the goal of this vision, he has planned to increase Saudi Arabia’s influence in the world. As a strong ally for the United States (US), the Saudi’s ambitions also assist the US in increasing its global influence without raising alarms or create tension in sensitive regions like the Pacific.

From political influence to investment opportunities, the South Pacific has multiple attractions for Saudi Arabia. While Saudi Arabia has worked to enhance their influence in the Pacific in the last couple of years, its concentrated efforts began in June 2023.

Saudi Arabia kicked off its new strategy by actively participating in treaties, such as the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC), which was signed on the sideline of the ASEAN foreign minister in Jakarta on July 2023. At the closing ceremony of 33 years of the Airports Council International (ACI) in Barcelona, Spain, Saudi Arabia announced that the venue for its ACI Asia-Pacific world annual general assembly will be in Riyadh (the capital of Saudi Arabia in May 2024.

Besides signing agreements and hosting regional events, Saudi Arabia is investing in building political alliances through artistic and sporting investments. For instance, the Kingdom invested in the national government of Solomon Islands toward the Pacific Games 2023 during the visit of Saudi Arabia's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Climate Change envoy Adel Al-Jubeir. In February 2023, a delegation from Saudi Arabia travelled to Fiji to lobby and gain the support of leaders of the Pacific Island Forum for hosting the World Expo Conference in 2030.

The Pacific region’s attractions for the Kingdom goes beyond trade and includes major investment in infrastructure. Saudi Arabia considers the Pacific as the best place for investing in infrastructure projects, green energy, and tourism.

Energy and other economic sources are particularly attractive to Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman. One of the objectives of Saudi’s investment is the diversification of economy. Although the Kingdom leans on oil and gas, this economic source is neither sustainable nor could lead to economic growth. 

Furthermore, the Vision 2030 is focused on sustainability and economic growth, which are vital for the long-term objectives of Saudi’s economic sector, which envisage the country to reach beyond its current position in the global economic order. The investments of Saudi Arabia in the South Pacific in economy, energy and tourism, therefore, is a safe platform for Saudis to implement their ambitions.

Another reason for Saudi Arabia's presence in the Pacific is to gather intelligence and be able to influence Islamic armed groups such as ISIS. Saudi Arabia claims to be regularly threatened by ISIS. For instance, they often refer to one of Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi’s sermons in which he ordered his fighters to attack Saudi Arabia in 2014. The presence of ISIS in some parts of the Indo-Pacific, and the proximity of the region to Southeast Asia, the Philippines in particular, would allow Saudi Arabia to track and monitor these groups.

Saudi Arabia's unwavering pursuit of influence in the South Pacific marks a decisive shift in the Kingdom's geopolitical strategy. Far from being content with regional dominion, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's administration has adopted a sophisticated approach to securing a formidable position in the global landscape. By skillfully leveraging economic investment, strategic partnerships and security interests, the Kingdom seeks to not only realise its Vision 2030 objectives but also actively contribute to shaping international affairs.

The Saudi foray into the Pacific stands as a testament to their ambitious aspirations and the world watches with keen interest as the Kingdom makes calculated strides towards becoming a defining force on the world stage. As a strong ally of the US, Saudi Arabia's growing presence and strategic engagement in the South Pacific also serves to support and bolster US efforts in balancing the power dynamics with China in the region.