James Denselow

It is a famous phrase within the study of geopolitics that “when it comes to the business of international relations, there are only permanent interests and no permanent friendships”. US President Biden’s visit to Saudi Arabia is a reminder of the primacy of these interests over the waxing and waning of individuals who may lead a country at a time.

The narrative is a simple one. Biden predictably campaigned for the Presidency as the ‘anti-Trump’ and looked to set himself at the other end of the policy scale to his predecessor. Trump attempted to kill the Iran deal and saw Saudi-US relations as a priority, the Kingdom saw his first ever visit abroad. In 2018 Trump’s White House released a statement on “"Standing with Saudi Arabia" which spoke to the $450 billion that Saudi had agreed to invest in the US.

Biden has looked to restore the Iran deal and in incredible bombastic terms threatened to turn Saudi Arabia into a ‘pariah’, which must have Riyadh nervous as well as angry to what the new President intended. Yet whilst relations between the US and Saudi have cooled since Biden’s election, especially around issues of arms sales, the President’s visit this month is likely an attempt at a corrective towards a more traditional close alliance.

Indeed, the two countries have been allies for almost a hundred years although there deeper strategic partnership can be traced back to 1945. It has been an enduring relationship as a well as one that receives in the large bipartisan support, which is an increasingly rare phenomenon in Washington.

That Saudi Arabia is the world’s second biggest producer of oil at a time of a global energy crisis has surely focused the minds of Biden and his foreign policy team. There was even an attempt by Washington to see if a new relationship with Venezuela could be found to open more oil supplies in light of the sanctions arrayed against Russia following their invasion of Ukraine.

The headlines around this week’s trip to Saudi Arabia capture relations “on the mend” or a “return to realism”. The United States and Saudi Arabia agreed on the importance of stopping Iran from "acquiring a nuclear weapon", during the visit according to a joint statement carried by the Saudi state news agency (SPA) The rapprochement was hugely helped by the continuing truce in Yemen

Meanwhile, the image of President Biden fist pumping Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will be the single moment captured by history from the visit. This simple human gesture would have likely taken months to choreography between diplomats from either country but may reverberate into the months and years ahead. It formed the pinnacle below which the agreed joint statement lived in which the US was unequivocal in supporting “Saudi Arabia’s security and territorial defense, and facilitating the Kingdom’s ability to obtain necessary capabilities to defend its people and territory against external threats”.

Less notice in coverage of a summit that was focused on Biden’s meetings with the Saudi leaderships, was the U.S.-brokered deal between Israel, Egypt and Saudi Arabia under which a small U.S.-led international peacekeeping contingent would quit the strategic island of Tiran, control of which was ceded to Riyadh by Cairo in 2017.

Now all eyes are on the August 3 OPEC+ meeting and weather the alliance will increase output and help ease the energy and inflationary crises that many parts of the world are enduring. Current inflation in the US is the highest in 40 -years, yet rather than any immediate decision coming out of the Biden summit, if the Saudis and the UAE want to raise output, they will do it via OPEC+. Yet at the summit the United States and Saudi Arabia did express their commitment to ensuring the stability of global energy markets. The two countries agreed to consult regularly on global energy markets in the short and long term and work together as strategic partners in climate and energy transition.

In the post invasion of Ukraine world, the balance of global power into a sharper focus between the US alliance, the Russia/China alliance and those who seek to be allies of both has changed the priorities and intentions of many world leaders. Yet it is crucial to remember that Biden’s Saudi reset is back to the historic norm, not away from it.

BY: James Denselow

The least worst of the worst next Tory prime minister UAE President arrives in France to strengthen ties and focus on energy

BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”