The Saudi 'genie' takes off despite the attempts of those who look at every move or statement made by Riyadh with envy, hatred and political stupidity. This distressed 'clique,' instead of looking at the cup to see if it is half full, seeks, as usual, to turn it upside down, and then begin to define their previously known positions. It is as if they are denying Saudi Arabia's lofty position in its capacity as the regional heavyweight, as well as its Islamic standing, its international influence, and the multiplicity of vital files that it is holding onto at the economic, political, security and regional levels. Saudi Arabia is not shaken by these 'empty antics.' These stupid hate-mongers do not affect its policies, no matter how many 'lies and fallacies' they fabricate. The Saudi caravan goes on, ignoring their barking. Perhaps the month of July 2023 is the best proof of the great, even very large, roles that Riyadh plays with strength and competence, through careful studies and prudent assessments of the regional and global situations. This month witnessed two summits within 24 hours, hosted by the Saudi government under the auspices of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and under the chairmanship of Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman. They are the joint summit of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states and the Central Asian countries, which is a region of great importance to, as well as having deep connection with, the Islamic world. The other summit was the periodic consultative meeting of the leaders of the GCC states. Saudi Arabia hosted the Climate Week in the Middle East and North Africa region to confirm the responsibilities it assumes regarding climate change, combating global warming, and encouraging clean energy. Also, this month (July 2023) witnessed the return of Saudi Arabia and its ally the United States to resume their initiative to stop the Sudan war. It is a conflict that falls within what Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has emphasized: "There will be no leniency with any attempt to destabilize the region." There is great hope that the initiative would be successful in persuading the two warring parties in Sudan to declare a permanent ceasefire and open humanitarian corridors to deliver relief supplies and medicines to those in need. Active Saudi roles include the Kingdom's continuous work with its partners in OPEC and OPEC Plus to stabilize global oil prices. It must be noted that Saudi Arabia usually sacrifices its oil revenue to maintain production within the agreed levels so as to address problems in oil markets globally. Also to be mentioned is the outcome of the Saudi-Japanese summit held in the presence of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Jeddah, the most prominent of which was the cooperation between the two countries to explore deep-sea resources. The Kingdom, represented by Minister of Interior Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif, recently participated in the International Conference on Development and Migration, which was hosted by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Rome. The conference underlined that the world should shoulder its responsibilities regarding the economic, political, and social consequences of illegal immigration, and confronting crimes of exploitation, smuggling, and transborder organized crime. All of these are issues that the Kingdom has been grappling with for decades. Saudi Arabia, through its moderate policies, is trying to find solutions for them. It is certain that international cooperation, through the platform of the Rome conference, is very important for coordination in combating illegal immigration, from which Europe suffers the most. Before that, a large number of countries hailed Saudi Arabia for its major role in the evacuation of foreign nationals from Sudan after the outbreak of war on April 15, 2023, between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces. What is certain is that Riyadh will continue its strong moves to communicate with the countries of the world to resolve the issues of the region and the issues that concern the rest of its international partners. These are prompted by the role that history and geopolitics determined for it, and the long-standing legacy of its foreign policy, by virtue of its pioneering role in serving the Arab and Islamic nations, and its moral obligations stemming from being the largest oil exporter in the world. The July 2023 moves came after major breakthroughs achieved by the Kingdom over the previous months, especially the resumption of diplomatic relations between Riyadh and Tehran, and the repercussions of that agreement on the situation in Yemen, Lebanon and Syria and the convening of the Arab summit in Jeddah, which brought Syria back to the Arab fold after a rupture that continued since 2011. There is no doubt that looking at the "upside-own cup" will not hinder Saudi Arabia from its huge missions toward its people, its region, and the entire mankind. Therefore, no matter how envious haters and conspirators try to break it, Saudi Arabia does not care about them and does not value them as it is too big to see what the dwarves are preoccupied with, even after they profited from its successes. No doubt, the Kingdom will continue to play the honorable roles it plays in every place and time.
