Saudi newspapers highlighted in their editorials today a number of issues at local, regional and international arena. In their front pages, almost all Saudi press highlighted prominent local news and developments, citing that starting from today, only pilgrims will be allowed to perform Umrah (minor Haj) and President Al-Sisi receives Emir of Qatar. Arriyadh newspaper said under the title "long-awaited issue" that never since their establishment eight decades ago, the Saudi-US relations have not faced such a series of unprecedented challenges like what they experience during the current administration of President Joe Biden. Howeer, the US administration has at last realized that the Gulf region is still of paramount importance to the United States, particularly following the remarkable changes caused by the Russian-Ukraine war on the US geopolitical considerations. The paper added that the major problem of the Arab Gulf countries with Washington is not confined to the positions towards Russia but is largely related with increasing doubts about the future of the US historical commitment of the region's security. Such skepticism has its justification, the paper put it, citing that Biden administration has lifted the Houthis of the terror list, halted the support it was providing for the Arab alliance to restore legitimacy in Yemen, and turned a blind eye from the Gulf countries when negotiations with Iran on reviving its nuke program resumed. Moreover, Washington practices work more covertly than publicly, creating an unstable political environment. The paper added that President Biden administration has eventually realized its mistaken policy towards the region and might seek rectifying the path, particularly that it shoulders the whole responsibility of the retreat of the US-Gulf relations, as it showed an unfamiliar negligence in the history of relations between the two parties, encouraging a strong stimulus for the GCC countries to search a foreign policy strategic alternative despite their keenness to diversify their options, and confirming that they are still concerned with the tranditional partnership with the United States. Arriyadh concluded that President Biden's administration is required to prove that rebounding its concern with the Arab Gulf countries is not just a temporary matter forced by the need to oil but should prove in action and not only words that it is still committed to the security of the Gulf countries and that they have serious needs that should be taken into consideration, topped by the security interests dealing with the threats poised by the Houthi militia on the whole region's security including that the revival of Iran nuke program could not lead to sustainable regional stability unless conditions were enforced on Iran to stop its destabilizing activities towards the regional countries. In addition to the need to interact with the Gulf countries as key allies for the US interests regardless of oil the situation is that as everybody knows both sides are still in need to each other, necessitating drawing a clear strategy highlighting the importance of these ties and preserve them in the long run. In its editorial today, Al-Iqtisadiyah (the economist) quoted several sources including economic specialists, financial institutions and reporters warning of what they call a prominent recess of the US economy by next year. However, some described the situation as just a slow of growth rather than a threatening recess.
