CONTEMPORARY EURASIA VOLUME VII (1, 2) Contemporary-Eurasia-3new

CONTEMPORARY EURASIA civil war in Syria, Saudi Arabia and Qatar backed opposition and radi- cal groups and initiated expulsion of Syria from the Arab League. After 7 years of war, Bashar al-Asad is still in power with the help of Iran and Russia. In 2018 the people of Lebanon elected parliament for the ﬁ rst time in 9 years, where pro-Iranian forces recorded success. It is clear, that Iranian backed non-state actors, such as Hezbollah in Lebanon, Houth- is in Yemen, Shii militias in Iraq are important instruments in Tehran’s regional policy and in this regard Saudi Arabia loses advantage to Iran. The new king of Saudi Arabia Salman and the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman initiated reforms in the country and are determined to conduct more expansive policy. The limited military opportunities may force Ri- yadh to focus on the use of soft power. An example of soft power was the announcement of the UAE, that it would fund the $50.4 million for the reconstruction of Mosul’s Grand al-Nouri mosque. Such gestures could help soften Iraqi antipathy for the kingdom and its Gulf allies. 20 The war against the IS has had heavy consequences for Iraq. A num- ber of cities and villages are in ruins and it will be too hard to recover without foreign assistance. Taking into account the current situation in Iraq, the country could be attractive for infrastructure and agricultural in- vestments. Gulf countries may also invest in the stability of Iraq by bridg- ing the opposing groups. The Arab countries of the Gulf are interested in Iraq’ stability, as in case of anarchy and fragmentation will pose a direct threat to them. In 2017 the Prime Minister of Iraq Heidar Al-Abadi paid two visits to Saudi Arabia. The prominent Iraqi Shiite cleric and political leader Moqta- da Al Sadr paid a similar visit a month later. The visit was described as a “positive development”, and analysts said Al Sadr realized that sectarian- ism is negatively aﬀ ecting the future of Iraq, its people and all the Arabs. 21 The visit of Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman was announced in media, but was denied in Riyadh. Deputy Minister for Public Diplomacy Aﬀ airs at the Foreign Ministry of KSA, Ambassador Osama Ahmed Nugali, made the announcement in April 2018 and empha- sized the importance of strengthening Saudi-Iraqi ties. 22 Riyadh intended 20 21 22 International Crisis Group, “Saudi Arabia: Back to Baghdad,” Report N 186, May 22, 2018, https://www.crisisgroup.org/middle-east-north-africa/gulf-and-arabian-peninsula/iraq/186- saudi-arabia-back-baghdad (accessed September 7, 2018). “Saudi strategy on Iraq can be game changer,” Gulf News, October 23, 2017, https://gulf- news.com/news/gulf/saudi-arabia/saudi-strategy-on-iraq-can-be-game-changer-1.2111612 (accessed March 18, 2018). “Saudi Arabia to Open Consulate in Iraq’s Basra soon,” Asharq Al-Awsat, April 11, 2018, https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1234451/saudi-arabia-open-consulate-iraqs-basra- soon (accessed July 16, 2018). 106

CONTEMPORARY EURASIA VOLUME VII (1, 2) Contemporary-Eurasia-3new | Page 106