Is An Alliance With Russia The Saudi Crown Prince's Final Option?

Cyril Widdershoven, OilPrice.com: The Saudi Crown Prince’s Final Option

Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman has been making headlines again these last few days. After giving an interview to CBS in which he admitted the mistakes of the Khashoggi murder last year, a media frenzy started, with a vast lineup of reports linked to the 1 year remembrance day of the brutal Khashoggi murder, mainly intended to weaken the position of the Saudi crown prince. Unnamed sources are being quoted stating that MBS’s position is being attacked from all sides, including within the Kingdom.

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WNU Editor: As this blog noted last year. The relationship between Putin and Salman is very close .... Russian President Putin And Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman Share A High Five At The G20 (November 30, 2018).

What Will Happen To Saudi Arabia If The World Does Not Need Its Oil?

A man looks out over central Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from the Faisaliah Tower in 2003. (Peter MacDiarmid/Reuters)

Jim Geraghty, NRO: What Happens to Saudi Arabia When the World Doesn’t Need Its Oil?

Over on the homepage, our Kevin Williamson writes a really great, thought-provoking essay laying out how to synthesize the competing instincts of idealism and realism in the world, and particularly in the Muslim world. Read the whole thing; it’s difficult to summarize, but the gist is that if the United States really wants to prevent bad outcomes and increase the odds of good incomes, we need to be doing a lot of non-military intervention and relationship building with all kinds of forces for civil society in every country that matters to us. He concludes, “We can do better. But we can’t do it easily, we can’t do it on the cheap, and we can’t do it in a week.”

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WNU Editor: It is going to happen one day .... the world no longer needing Saudi Arabia's oil. But before that happens one can only hope that the leaders in Saudi Arabia will be able to position the country to withstand such a shock, both financially and economically. Fortunately for Saudi Arabia, the world does need its resource, and it has enough current reserves to last to the end of the century.

Why No One Wants To Invest Money In Saudi Arabia

Pictures of U.S. President Donald Trump and Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud are projected on the front of the Ritz-Carlton, where Trump is staying in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia May 20, 2017.REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

Michael Hirsh, Business Insider/Foreign Policy: How Saudi Arabia became an investment wasteland

* Smart money has been moving out of Saudi Arabia.
* From 2016 to 2017, foreign direct investment in Saudi Arabia plummeted by an astonishing 80%, from about $7.5 billion to about $1.4 billion, according to the UN Conference on Trade and Development.
* For the most part both savvy outside investors and many Saudi businessmen no longer had faith in the kingdom, considering "the crown prince's authoritarian tendencies" and "capricious economic policy choices," Saudi economy expert Phillip Cornell told Foreign Policy.

Long before the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, even as credulous Western boosters were promoting Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as a reformer and a visionary, the smart money was moving out of Saudi Arabia. And fast.

The reason? Mohammed bin Salman himself.

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WNU Editor: I would not invest money in Saudi Arabia, but a lot of people are .... Saudi Arabia signs business deals worth $50 billion at 'Davos in the desert' (Daily Journal/CNN)

How Much Damage Can Saudi Arabia Do To The Global Economy?

The Guardian: How much damage can Saudi Arabia do to the global economy?

Should the kingdom make good on its warnings, the repercussions could be felt around the world

Saudi Arabia enjoys a privileged position both in geopolitical and economic terms. It will have a powerful hand to play if tensions with the US and the west escalate and it follows through with Sunday’s warning of retaliation.

Its vast oil reserves – it claims to have about 260bn barrels still to extract – afford the most obvious advantage. The kingdom is the world’s largest oil exporter, pumping or shipping about 7m barrels a day, and giving Riyadh huge clout in the global economy because it wields power to push up prices.

An editorial in Arab News by Turki Aldhakhil, the general manager of the official Saudi news channel, Al Arabiya, offers a hint of what could be in the offing.

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WNU Editor: Saudi Arabia does not have the economic clout that it use to have. But they can still hurt the world's economy .... primarily by holding back oil production.

More News On The Impact That Saudi Arabia Can Have On The Global Economy

Saudi Arabia Points the Oil Weapon at Itself -- Bloomberg
Saudi Arabia breaks 45-year taboo with veiled oil weapon threat -- Houston Chronicle/Bloomberg
Riyadh threatens retaliation for 'actions' against it over missing journalist -- RT
Global stock market sell-off resumes as Saudi sanction fears push oil higher -- Insider

Is Saudi Arabia A 'Mobster State'?

John R. Bradley, Spectator: What the media aren’t telling you about Jamal Khashoggi

The dissident’s fate says a lot about Saudi Arabia and the rise of the mobster state

As someone who spent three decades working closely with intelligence services in the Arab world and the West, the Saudi dissident and Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi knew he was taking a huge risk in entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul last week to try to obtain a document certifying he had divorced his ex-wife.

A one-time regime insider turned critic of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman — the de facto head of the Saudi kingdom which tolerates no criticism whatsoever — Khashoggi had been living in Washington for the previous year in self-imposed exile amid a crackdown on independent voices in his homeland.

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WNU Editor: There are no angels in the Middle East.

Would The Saudi Government Survive If The U.S. Withdrew Its Support?

Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud welcomes U.S. President Donald Trump during a reception ceremony in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, May 20, 2017. Bandar Algaloud/Courtesy of Saudi Royal Court/Handout via REUTERS

Reuters: Trump: I told Saudi king he wouldn't last without U.S. support

SOUTHAVEN, Miss. (Reuters) - President Donald Trump made an undiplomatic remark about close ally Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, saying he warned Saudi Arabia’s King Salman he would not last in power “for two weeks” without the backing of the U.S. military.

“We protect Saudi Arabia. Would you say they’re rich. And I love the King, King Salman. But I said ‘King - we’re protecting you - you might not be there for two weeks without us - you have to pay for your military,’” Trump said to cheers at a rally in Southaven, Mississippi.

Trump did not say when he made those remarks to the Saudi monarch.

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WNU Editor: The Saudi Kingdom/government would survive if the U.S. should withdraw its support. The Saudis would simply find another major government/country to protect them, and on the top of that list I would put China.

Saudi Arabia Is Now Weaponizing Its Wealth When It Comes To Foreign Policy

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman gestures during a military parade. (photo credit:SAUDI PRESS AGENCY/REUTERS)

Bloomberg: Saudi Arabia Starts to Weaponize Its Wealth

Here’s a subject that Elon Musk might think twice before tweeting about.

Resource-rich Saudi Arabia, which in recent months amassed a $2 billion stake in the Twitter-mad billionaire’s electric-car company Tesla Inc., has declared economic war on Canada. The cause was a tweet by Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland, whose call for the release of social activists arrested by the Gulf monarchy earned a stunningly disproportionate response this week.

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Update: Combative Saudi foreign policy stirs international ire (France 24)

WNU Editor: Canada is having problems finding allies in its dispute with Saudi Arabia .... Canada asks for help in Saudi dispute (AFP).

Is Saudi Arabia Getting Ready For War?

Tom Rogan, Washington Examiner: Saudi Arabia gets ready for war

Saudi Arabia is preparing for war and doubling down on its modernity revolution. That’s my takeaway from the desert kingdom's replacement on Monday of its chairman of the joint chiefs and its air defense and army commanders. Crown prince Mohammed bin Salman's hand is very evident here.

The unceremonious dumping of incumbent officials wasn’t limited to the military; also Monday, various security and provincial officials were also sent packing and younger officials promoted to replace them. A female minister was also appointed to the Labor Department.

These changes speak to something deeper: While King Salman’s stamp was applied to the personnel changes, Mohammed bin Salman is the key here.

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Update: Why Saudi Arabia Is Suddenly Shaking Up Its Military (Deborah Amos, NPR)

WNU Editor: Saudi Arabia has been at war for years. Against Islamic extremists within its borders. Through proxies in Syria. And directly in Yemen. And what is striking about these conflicts is that Saudi Arabia is not winning.

This Is How Saudi Arabia Will Defeat An Enemy In A Major War

Reuters

Daniel R. DePetris, National Interest: 5 Ways Saudi Arabia Could Crush Iran (or Any Enemy) in a War

The backbone of the Saudi air force is the F-15 fighter: a platform that the United States itself has used for generations and a plane that is capable of carrying out the kinds of short and long-distance air sorties that may be required for a mission to succeed. According to public sources, Saudi Arabia possesses about 238 F-15 fighter planes—including a 2010 U.S. sale to Riyadh consisting of 84 F-15SA’s, Boeing Corp’s newest F-15 variant. This particular model is especially helpful for the Saudis, who are now engaged in two conflicts simultaneously. The plane’s range of 2,400 miles is particularly impressive and allows the Kingdom’s aircrews to travel to and from northern Iraq and southern Yemen without having to rely upon mid-air refueling aircraft to arrive at a target. There is no question that Saudi pilots appreciate this type of capability as they search for Houthi targets in Yemen and ISIL targets in Syria.

For Saudi Arabia, the conservative Gulf kingdom whose number one priority in the region is to keep the status quo, it’s hard not to come to the conclusion that the entire Middle East is on the fire. Indeed, if Saudi Arabia resembled a giant mansion in the middle of the neighborhood, the rest of the street would be littered with abandoned houses and empty lots. In other words, the neighborhood outside the Kingdom doesn’t look good at the moment, and King Salman bin Abdulaziz knows it.

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WNU Editor: The above article was first posted in 2015. As to what is my take .... I am skeptical of the above report. The Saudis have spent tens of billions on their military, and they still have not been able to defeat the Houthis in Yemen. So much for their ability to crush any enemy in a war.

Report: The Saudi Arabian Army Is In An Uproar Over The Current Political Crisis

Pepe Escobar, Asia Times: The inside story of the Saudi night of long knives

Princes, ministers and a billionaire are 'imprisoned' in the Riyadh Ritz-Carlton while the Saudi Arabian Army is said to be in an uproar.

The House of Saud’s King Salman devises an high-powered “anti-corruption” commission and appoints his son, Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman, a.k.a. MBS, as chairman.

Right on cue, the commission detains 11 House of Saud princes, four current ministers and dozens of former princes/cabinet secretaries – all charged with corruption. Hefty bank accounts are frozen, private jets are grounded. The high-profile accused lot is “jailed” at the Riyadh Ritz-Carlton.

War breaks out within the House of Saud, as Asia Times had anticipated back in July. Rumors have been swirling for months about a coup against MBS in the making. Instead, what just happened is yet another MBS pre-emptive coup.

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WNU Editor: One of the better analysis on the current situation unfolding in Saudi Arabia .... and the only one that I have read so far that looks at how the Saudi military is viewing these events. Read it all.

Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials On the Turmoil In Saudi Arabia (Update)

Kim Sengupta, The Independent: Saudi Arabia royal purge: Why it matters so much to the world beyond its borders

From the UK and US to Yemen, Qatar, Turkey and Lebanon – the fallout from the Crown Prince’s ‘corruption’ sweep could be felt across many nations

The Saudi night of the long knives was followed by the sudden appearance of Saad Hariri in the Kingdom, announcing that he was resigning as prime minister of Lebanon. Then came the news that the Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas had been summoned to Riyadh. The 32-year-old Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia is seeking to exert control both at home and abroad, in the process ratcheting up tension in an already volatile Middle East.

Mohammed Bin Salman al Saud wants to consolidate authority in Saudi Arabia in his hands and, at the same time, be the kingmaker in other lands. It is an extraordinarily high-risk strategy, and one even the seemingly uber-confident young Prince would not have embarked on without a powerful outside sponsor.

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WNU Editor: This is why Saudi Arabia .... and what happens in that country .... is important to the world .... Oil climbs above $64 a barrel after Saudi crackdown (Financial Times).

Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials On the Turmoil In Saudi Arabia (Update)

Stability will not come easily to Saudi Arabia, but the status quo cannot continue -- The Telegraph
The great Saudi sheikh up: How the king's favourite son is preparing to rule by purging traditionalists - like the prince who owns the Savoy Hotel - in a bid to take power away from hardline Islamic clerics and modernise the kingdom -- Daily Mail
Saudi mass arrests jolt markets but many see overdue swoop on corruption -- Reuters
The Guardian view on Saudi Arabia: a slow-motion coup -- Guardian editorial
The purge in Saudi Arabia, explained -- Vox
Saudi Arabia's Game of Thrones: Who got caught in the widening corruption crackdown? -- Los Angeles Times
'The Opposite of Game of Thrones.' What the Arrest of Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Really Means -- TIME
Saudi Crown Prince’s Unprecedented Power Grab Could Come To Haunt Him -- James M. Dorsey, Huffington Post
Bin Salman and the end of Saudi's consensus rule -- Aljazeera
Saudi Arabia's future: The crown prince makes a demographic bet -- Fox News
Saudi Arabia crackdown by Prince Mohammed bin Salman could push oil prices higher -- Financial Express
Is Mohammed Bin Salman rewriting Saudi Arabia's history? -- Middle East Eye
After shakeup, can Saudi Arabia's crown prince deliver on promise of reform? -- PBS NewsHour

Commentaries And Analysis On The Purges In Saudi Arabia

Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, Politico: What the Hell Just Happened in Saudi Arabia?

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman just executed a sweeping—and risky—purge of his potential political adversaries. Here’s why.

Even by the torrid pace of change Saudis have become used to under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, developments over the past two days have been as frenetic as they are momentous. The removal of Prince Miteb bin Abdullah as commander of the Saudi Arabian National Guard and one of the few remaining autonomous sources of authority in the kingdom, was followed swiftly by the detention of at least 11 members of the ruling family and dozens of others, including government ministers and ex-ministers and key figures in the business community. The detentions, framed as part of a sweeping crackdown on corruption following a royal decree that mandated a Supreme Committee headed by Mohammed bin Salman to address the issue, represent the latest in a series of bold moves by a youthful crown prince who has centralized authority to a degree unprecedented in recent Saudi history, but risk weakening the checks and balances that for decades have characterized royal family rule in the kingdom.

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Commentaries And Analysis On The Purges In Saudi Arabia

A resignation, detentions and missiles: 24 hours that shook the Middle East -- CNN
Analysis: Saudi Arabia's young crown prince moves boldly to secure his grip on power -- Derek Stoffel, CBC News
Saudi Arabia’s crown prince orders mass arrests, signaling a major shift -- Matthew Rozsa, Salon
Saudi royal purge: Crown prince's high-stakes gambit -- AFP
Saudi purge takes kingdom into unpredictable new era: Kemp -- John Kemp, Reuters
On the Prince’s Orders -- Isaac Chotiner, Slate
Prince Mohammed bin Salman Aims to Rebrand Saudi Arabia -- F. Brinley Bruton, NBC
How Saudi elite became five-star prisoners at the Riyadh Ritz-Carlton -- Martin Chulov, The Guardian
Saudi Arabia's arrest of Prince Alwaleed 'would be like arresting Warren Buffett or Bill Gates' in the US -- Matthew J. Belvedere, CNBC
Saudi Arabia had a crazy weekend that upended the Middle Eastern kingdom -- Peter Jacobs, Business Insider
Broad Crackdown Reins In Saudi Arabia's Elite -- Wall Street Journal
The Fight for Survival Behind Saudi Arabia’s Purge -- Joshua Keating, Slate
Saudi Arabia's purge is 'a stunning political development' and 'a shot across the bow at the old establishment' -- Business Insider
Saudi economy vulnerable as corruption probe hits business old guard -- Katie Paul, Reuters
How Markets Are Reacting To Saudi Arabia's Detentions -- Ellen Wald, Forbes

Is Saudi Crown Prince Salman Ready To Rule?

A handout picture released by the Saudi Royal Palace shows Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz (R) chatting with deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during a ceremony marking the 50th anniversary of the creation of the King Faisal Air Academy at King Salman airbase in Riyadh on January 25, 2017. (Photo by AFP)

Cyril Widdershoven, OilPrice.com: The Saudi Power Balance Is On A Knife-Edge

The sweltering heat of Saudi Arabian summer will feel like a cool breeze compared to the geopolitical fire that could soon take over the country if ongoing internal power struggles destabilize the Kingdom’s Royal Family and national security in the coming weeks.

After his successful elevation to Crown Prince, Mohammed Bin Salman (MBS) has been appointed by King Salman to be in charge during his holiday to Morocco. The King’s holiday comes at a time of relative instability in the Kingdom, as the effects of the removal of former Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Nayef at the end of the Ramadan period continue to linger.

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WNU Editor: Just a gut feeling .... and one that I have had for a long time .... but I do not think Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman is the right man for this job.

Is Saudi Arabia Destabilising The World?

Stephen Kinzer, Boston Globe: Saudi Arabia is destabilizing the world

JUST A FEW months ago, the governor of Indonesia’s largest city, Jakarta, seemed headed for easy re-election despite the fact that he is a Christian in a mostly Muslim country. Suddenly everything went violently wrong. Using the pretext of an offhand remark the governor made about the Koran, masses of enraged Muslims took to the streets to denounce him. In short order he lost the election, was arrested, charged with blasphemy, and sentenced to two years in prison.

This episode is especially alarming because Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim country, has long been one of its most tolerant. Indonesian Islam, like most belief systems on that vast archipelago, is syncretic, gentle, and open-minded. The stunning fall of Jakarta’s governor reflects the opposite: intolerance, sectarian hatred, and contempt for democracy. Fundamentalism is surging in Indonesia. This did not happen naturally.

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WNU Editor: Could not have said it better myself. On a side note .... From American College Campuses to ISIS Camps: How Hundreds of Saudis Joined ISIS in the U.S. (Ali al-Ahmed & Mohamed Dhamen, Institute for Gulf Affairs). Hat tip to Jay for this link.

Saudi Arabia's Welcoming Of President Trump Is Also a Rejection Of President Obama's Views Of The Middle East

King Salman and President Trump, flanking the flag bearer, took part in a traditional sword dance on Saturday in Saudi Arabia. Credit Stephen Crowley/The New York Times

New York Times: Saudis Welcome Trump’s Rebuff of Obama’s Mideast Views

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — With trumpets blaring, cannons booming and fighter jets streaking overhead trailed by red, white and blue contrails, President Trump arrived in the scorching heat of the Arabian desert on Saturday hoping to realign the politics and diplomacy of the Middle East by forcefully reasserting American support for Sunni Muslim countries and Israel against Iran’s Shiite-led government.

The start of Mr. Trump’s first trip abroad since becoming president — coming amid the scandals and chaos engulfing his administration — was intended to be a blunt rejection of President Barack Obama’s vision for the region. Mr. Obama sought a reconciliation with Iran and negotiated a deal intended to keep Tehran from developing nuclear weapons.

The day proved to be almost everything a besieged White House could have wanted. After weeks of stormy politics and out-of-control news cycles, the president stayed rigorously on script and restrained himself on Twitter. His staff boasted about the business deals being signed, and the visual images beamed to Americans back home showed a president seemingly in command of a world stage.

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Update: Saudi leaders hail Trump visit as ‘reset of regional order’ (The Guardian)

WNU Editor: A lot of Sunni-led governments in the Middle East saw President Obama's Iran policies as a disaster that put everyone else in peril .... so looking at it from that context .... they see President Trump as someone who understands these dangers and are willing to work with him. This trip has also destroyed the narrative that many believed President Trump would alienate allies because of his views and policies .... clearly that is not the case here.

Money Troubles For The Saudi Government?

Robert Fisk, The Independent: Saudi Arabia cannot pay its workers or bills – yet continues to fund a war in Yemen

In Saudi Arabia itself, the government seems unable to cope with the crisis. The 'Arab News' says that 31,000 Saudi and other foreign workers have lodged complaints with the government’s labour ministry over unpaid wages. On one occasion, the Indian consulate and expatriates brought food to the workers so that their people should not starve

Almost exactly a year after Salman bin Albdulaziz Al Saud, king of Saudi Arabia, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and head of the House of Saud, hurriedly left his millionaire’s mansion near Cannes with his 1,000 servants to continue his vacation in Morocco, the kingdom’s cash is not flowing so smoothly for the tens of thousands of sub-continental expatriates sweating away on his great building sites.

Almost unreported outside the Kingdom, the country’s big construction magnates – including that of the Binladen group – have not been paid by the Saudi government for major construction projects and a portion of the army of Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan and other workers have received no wages, some of them for up to seven months.

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WNU Editor: Saudi Arabia does have the money .... the problem is what they are spending it on.

Is Saudi Arabia A Good Ally?

U.S. President Barack Obama is greeted upon his arrival at King Khalid International Airport for a summit meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia April 20, 2016 © Kevin Lamarque / Reuters

Emma Ashford, War On The Rocks: Saudi Arabia is a Good Ally? Get Real

President Obama’s awkward recent visit to Saudi Arabia reopened debate over whether the Kingdom is a good U.S. ally or not. Certainly, there is no shortage of commentators arguing in favor of a stronger U.S.-Saudi partnership, calling for Obama to reassure the Saudis and arguing that the alliance is vital to U.S. national security.

Unfortunately, such arguments ignore the many problems in the relationship, which has become extremely fraught. Congressional criticism of Saudi Arabia, once almost unthinkable, occurs with increasing frequency. Recent moves by Congress to pass legislation that would permit relatives of victims of the 9/11 attacks to sue the Saudi government have been met with fierce criticism from the Gulf, and an explicit threat by the Saudis to sell more than $750 million in U.S. assets if the bill passes. Nor is the White House immune to this trend. The Obama administration opposes the 9/11 bill, the president’s reservations about the U.S.-Saudi alliance are well-known, describing it in a recent foreign policy interview as “complicated.”

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WNU Editor: I would label Saudi Arabia as a distant ally .... their focus is on their own needs, and when their needs intersects with the West and/or when they need something .... they become a good ally .... especially when their national security is threatened. When they need nothing .... they could not care less on what the West is doing.

Why Are The Oil Sheikhs Hiding Their Money?

Pete Souza/White House

Maajid Nawaz, The Hill: Obama in Saudi Arabia: What Do These Oil Sheikhs Have to Hide?

A look at the Panama Papers revelations shows how insecure the Middle East’s absolute leaders have become.

LONDON — On Thursday, President Barack Obama will meet with the kings and emirs of the Gulf Cooperation Council in Saudi Arabia. And of the many things they may talk about (Iran, Syria, Yemen, al Qaeda, and ISIS, not to mention oil prices and the efforts by U.S. lawyers and politicians to blame the 9/11 attacks on the Riyadh royals), it’s doubtful they will do much talking about the Panama Papers. But they certainly should.

It’s been more than a year since an anonymous source contacted journalist Bastian Obermayer at the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung asking a simple yet devastating question, “Want data?”

“How much?” Obermayer asked.

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WNU Editor: Considering on what has happened .... and is happening throughout the Middle East .... you would be a fool not to have a "safe nest-egg" somewhere else.

Saudi Arabia's Oil Weapon Is Back-Firing

Andrew Scott Cooper, New York Times: How Saudi Arabia Turned Its Greatest Weapon on Itself

FOR the past half-century, the world economy has been held hostage by just one country: the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Vast petroleum reserves and untapped production allowed the kingdom to play an outsize role as swing producer, filling or draining the global system at will.

The 1973-74 oil embargo was the first demonstration that the House of Saud was willing to weaponize the oil markets. In October 1973, a coalition of Arab states led by Saudi Arabia abruptly halted oil shipments in retaliation for America’s support of Israel during the Yom Kippur War. The price of a barrel of oil quickly quadrupled; the resulting shock to the oil-dependent economies of the West led to a sharp rise in the cost of living, mass unemployment and growing social discontent.

“If I was the president,” Secretary of State Henry Kissinger fumed to his deputy Brent Scowcroft, “I would tell the Arabs to shove their oil.” But the president, Richard M. Nixon, was in no position to dictate to the Saudis.

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WNU Editor: All good things come to an end .... and for Saudi Arabia they are now getting a glimpse of what life is going to be like when their oil resources are no longer important.

Can Saudi Arabia Fight Two Wars At The Same Time?

A Saudi soldier fires a mortar toward a Houthi movement position, at the Saudi border with Yemen, April 21, 2015. (photo by REUTERS)

Frank Gardner, BBC: Can Saudi Arabia fight two wars at once?

In the vast deserts of northern Saudi Arabia, close to the borders of Iraq and Kuwait, Exercise Northern Thunder has just concluded.

For nearly a month, the kingdom has been hosting forces from 20 allied nations, its first chance to practise integrating the Saudi-led Islamic Coalition announced last year to combat terrorism. This, say the Saudis, is the largest concentration of military forces in the region since the Desert Storm campaign of 1991 drove Iraq's army out of Kuwait.

Local media reports quoting figures of 350,000 troops looked to have been somewhat exaggerated.

There was little sign of massed formations of infantry and the Saudi general in charge declined to give me a total figure - "the numbers are not important" - suggesting that the actual turnout may have been lower than expected.

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WNU Editor: I am sure that Saudi Arabia can fight two wars at once .... but will they win? Considering the fact that they are having problems defeating a rag-tag army known as the Houthis in Yemen .... I have doubts.