French president Charles de Gaulle famously stated that “Countries don’t have friends, countries have interests.” It now seems plausible that Saudi Arabia and Israel have mutually beneficial interests that were unimaginable in the past. Let’s look at the recent history and the current situation regarding Saudi Arabia.
Starting in 1902, Abdul Aziz bin Saud, known as Abdulaziz, and his followers captured Riyadh, and then began conquering clans and tribes across Arabia. His modus operandi was to marry a young woman from each tribe that he conquered. In this way, he united the conquered tribes into the House of Saud. He ended up marrying 22 women and fathered 45 sons and an unknown number of daughters. In keeping with the laws of the Quran, he never had more than four wives at any one time.
In September 1932, Abdulaziz officially renamed Arabia as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and declared himself king. The kingdom is officially a Sunni Islamic State with the Quran as its constitution. It remains an absolute monarchy with no elections.
In 1932, the country had a population of approximately 2.8 million and was one of the poorest countries on Earth. Most of the country was a barren desert. Life expectancy was in the 40’s, and the majority of the population were illiterate. The country was facing a dire financial crisis, exacerbated by the Great Depression that started in 1929 and resulted in less than 10% of the normal number of Muslims undertaking the Hajj in the following years. By 1932, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was basically broke. Jack Philby came up with a solution.
How Saudi Arabia was transformed to a wealthy nation
Philby was born in 1885. He was brilliant in languages and studied Oriental languages at Cambridge University. In November 1917, he was sent to Riyadh as the head of a four-man British delegation to meet with Abdulaziz. He arrived in Riyadh by crossing the Arabian desert by camel. Philby met Abdulaziz and was greatly impressed with him. He returned to England and felt disillusioned with Christianity and his life. He divorced his wife, converted to Islam, and went to live in Arabia. He was fluent in Arabic and changed his name to Sheik Abdullah. He married a Saudi woman and became an adviser to Abdulaziz.
In 1932, he advised Abdulaziz that the best way to solve Saudi Arabia’s financial problem was to sell the rights to prospect for oil in Saudi Arabia to the Americans, provided that payments would be made in advance to sustain the kingdom. He advised Abdulaziz to offer Standard Oil of California, known as SOCAL, the rights to prospect for oil in Saudi Arabia. The deal appealed to Abdulaziz and was duly signed.
What Sheik Abdullah failed to reveal was that he was in the employ of SOCAL and had been promised a bonus if he could seal the deal. It turned out to be an epic deal for both the kingdom and SOCAL. In 1938, the largest oil reserves in the world were discovered beneath the vast desert in Saudi Arabia. It was the start of huge American investments in the Middle East. Several decades later, the massive income from the sale of oil would transform Saudi Arabia into one of the richest countries in the world.
In 1953, Abdulaziz, the founder of Saudi Arabia, died. In his will, he stipulated that the oldest surviving son at the time of his death would succeed him and become king, and that would continue until all his sons were deceased. King Salman, the current king of Saudi Arabia, is the last surviving son of Abdulaziz. He is 89 years old. Five years ago, he appointed his seventh son, Mohammed bin Salman, as the de facto ruler of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He is known as MBS and is now 39 years old.
Barring unforeseen circumstances, MBS will most likely be the next king of Saudi Arabia and will remain so for decades. He has indicated that he wants to chart a different future for Saudi Arabia than his predecessors. He understands that the world is rapidly changing and that relying solely on oil to maintain a prosperous future for Saudi Arabia is neither wise nor sustainable in the long term.
Saudi citizens pay no income taxes, receive free medical services, free primary and university education, and receive monthly allowances from the government.
What could go wrong? Let’s take a closer look at the situation.
Climate change and green energy: Why Saudi Arabia's continued prosperity is uncertain
The world has become aware of the devastating effect of climate change, and it is promoting alternative forms of energy to reduce carbon emissions. Britain has banned the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030, and the EU has done likewise from 2035. In Norway, 88.9% of new cars sold in 2024 were electric cars. It is clear that the movement away from fossil fuels is gaining momentum worldwide.
The growth of solar power, wind power, and other forms of energy are now ubiquitous in the world. The largest source of electricity in France comes from 18 nuclear power stations. Mini nuclear power stations that are considered safer are in the planning stages. President Donald Trump is promoting an increase in local oil production by drilling and fracking. This has the potential to turn America from an oil importer into an oil exporter. New oil and gas deposits have been discovered in several areas of the world. If the demand for oil decreases and the supply increases, it is clear that the price of oil will decrease.
MBS has realized that Saudi Arabia, with 38 million people, cannot continue to rely solely on oil production for a prosperous future. He is promoting what is called Vision 2030 for Saudi Arabia. Vision 2030 is aimed at diversifying Saudi Arabia economically, socially, and culturally in order to have a better long-term future for the country. Israel can play an important role in fulfilling that vision.
How Israel can help Saudi Arabia achieve a brighter future
Israel is known as the Start-Up Nation. Thinking out of the box is in the DNA of Israelis and has been at the heart of Israel’s exceptional growth and success. Israel is a powerhouse of innovation, intellectual property, and ideas. It has made the desert bloom. It has revolutionized agricultural production with drip irrigation and recycled wastewater. It has expertise in providing drinking water through desalination and even providing drinking water from air. In addition, Israel is a leading innovator in cybersecurity, hi-tech, the medical field, and many other areas.
Israel is ideally suited from a geographical point of view to provide Saudi Arabia with an alternative route to export oil by the use of a pipeline from Eilat to an Israeli port on the Mediterranean Sea. From there, the oil can be shipped to its final destination. This would bypass Iranian control of the current sea routes used by Saudi Arabia. Israel has produced innovative solutions to problems that are similar to those facing Saudi Arabia.
Israel is also a formidable military power with battle-tested military capabilities that extend far beyond its borders. One important factor is that Israel has no border dispute with Saudi Arabia. Israel can be an excellent partner for Saudi Arabia, and Saudi Arabia can be a game-changing partner for Israel. In short, the two countries can benefit enormously from each other.
The big question is whether MBS is willing to chart a future that includes joining the Abraham Accords. He has indicated that the formation of a Palestinian state is a prerequisite for this to happen. Israel is unlikely to agree to this. However, politics is the art of agreeing to compromises. Anything is possible when people with foresight and courage are involved. Saudi Arabia is the keeper of the Muslim holy cities of Mecca and Medina and needs to be seen as worthy of that position. Joining the Abraham Accords would have to be skillfully negotiated in order to be accepted by the Muslim world.
It is time for Saudi Arabia to inform the Palestinians that they cannot be an impediment to progress forever, and that they need to internalize that the Arab League resolution passed in 1967 in Khartoum, known as the Three No’s Resolution – “No peace with Israel. No negotiation with Israel. No recognition of Israel” – ended when Egyptian president Anwar Sadat signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1979 and is no longer applicable.
If Saudi Arabia does join the Abraham Accords, it would signal a brave new Middle East, where peace and prosperity between Jews and Arabs can become the new norm. It would be a remarkable milestone in the history and advancement of mankind, and a better future for the entire Middle East. ■
