the return to grace of the Saudi crown prince on the international scene, in three stages

Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed Bin Salman is touring Europe this week. He arrived in Greece on Tuesday July 26 for a two-day visit before a second stop in France, where he will be received Thursday at the Elysée Palace by Emmanuel Macron. This is MBS’s first visit to Europe since the Khashoggi affair, the journalist murdered in October 2018 inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.

Stage 1: the resumption of dialogue with Turkey

This return to the international scene of Mohamed Ben Salmane really began in June when the crown prince went to Egypt and Jordan, and especially to Turkey where he had been received by President Erdogan. This meeting had put an end to the estrangement which followed the assassination of Jamal Khashoggi in atrocious circumstances. The Saudi journalist, known for his critical positions towards Riyadh, had been dismembered and then dissolved in acid. The Turkish president at the time questioned the responsibility of the Saudi authorities in the disappearance of the journalist.

Since then, water has flowed under the bridges of the Bosphorus. The Turkish leader is facing an unprecedented crisis and must attract investors to restart his economy.

Stage 2: the war in Ukraine and the oil issue

Pointed out for three years, relegated to the rank of pariah on the international scene, MBS has become popular again, as Joe Biden’s trip to Jeddah recently proved and the famous “fist check” between the two men which earned well criticism of the American president, who had nevertheless declassified a damning report on the responsibility of the crown prince in the assassination of Jamal Khashogghi. This was without counting the war in Ukraine which put the Gulf monarchies back at the center of the oil game destabilized by Western sanctions against Moscow.

Step 3: a new meeting with Emmanuel Macron

The Elysée confirmed on Wednesday July 27 the visit of the crown prince to France. The President of the Republic will meet with the Crown Prince during a working dinner Thursday evening at 8.30 p.m. at the Elysée Palace.

We remember that Emmanuel Macron was the first Western leader to visit Saudi Arabia last December. The French president had to do a balancing act by evoking the need to speak to the crown prince who represents the first country in golf, a key player in the region, while specifying that dialogue did not mean being complacent.