Iran and Saudi Arabia exchange ambassadors

Milestone will enable direct interaction between major Mideast nations: Experts

With the ambassadors of Saudi Arabia and Iran starting their highly anticipated mission in their respective capitals on Tuesday, this milestone in their bilateral ties will enable deeper engagements that will be conducive to regional peace and development, analysts say.

Abdullah bin Saud Al-Anzi, Saudi Arabia's ambassador to Iran, arrived in Teheran on Tuesday, the same day Iranian ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Alireza Enayati, arrived in Riyadh.

Upon arrival, Al-Anzi emphasized the need to enhance relations and intensify communication and meetings between the kingdom and Iran, and to expand bilateral relations toward broader horizons, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

"Both the kingdom and Iran are neighboring countries with abundant economic resources, natural resources and advantages that contribute to enhancing development, prosperity, stability, and security in the region," the ambassador was quoted by the SPA as saying.

Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 was also on top of the Saudi envoy's agenda, which he said represents "a road map that encompasses all aspects upon which both countries can build their cooperation".

Jasim Husain, a Gulf analyst and former member of Bahrain's parliament, told China Daily that the exchange of the ambassadors is "a translation of the China-brokered deal between the two countries".

He said it was "a very positive development between two important countries in the region", making the region "a better place for living and doing business" with tensions going down between the two neighbors.

In March, Saudi Arabia and Iran restored relations through Chinese diplomacy after a seven-year break.

The two countries agreed to reopen their embassies and missions within two months, and announced in April the resumption of diplomatic relations with immediate effect.

"Certainly, there will be issues of exchange between the two countries," Husain said. "The presence of ambassadors allows the two countries to engage directly face-to-face without going through intermediaries. I'm certain there will be issues and developments requiring coordination and exchange of views between Saudi Arabia and Iran."

Engagement required

He cited matters regarding socioeconomic and sociopolitical developments, such as the prices of oil and the markets, Libya, Yemen, Iraq, Lebanon and Israel. So, he said, there are "always issues that will require the two countries to engage".

Dina Yulianti Sulaeman, director of the Indonesia Center for Middle East Studies, said the latest development was "good news".

"The commencement of the diplomatic mission of the two countries also needs to be seen as part of the world's geopolitical shift, in which the United States is increasingly being left behind," Sulaeman said.

In addition, Iran and Saudi Arabia have been invited to join BRICS, strengthening an alternative line in the face of collective Western domination.

Jawaid Iqbal, chairman of the Department of West Asian and North African Studies at Aligarh Muslim University in India, told China Daily that the envoys' assumption into their respective offices "marks a significant shift in the geopolitical landscape of the Arab world", recalling a "turbulent history of Iran-Saudi relations "that he traced back to 1988.

It was when Saudi Arabia supported Iraq during the Iran-Iraq War, resulting in the severing of diplomatic ties. This conflict, Iqbal said, was a devastating one "that drained the resources of the Middle East", primarily serving the interests of the imperialist military-industrial complex.

"While the US has often operated by creating chaos, the new post-unipolar order is actively seeking nonmilitarist solutions. This shift is exemplified by the Saudi-Iranian de-escalation efforts in Yemen and the reestablishment of ties with Syria," Iqbal said.

On Monday, the Asian Football Club announced all matches between the national teams and clubs of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation and the Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran will take place on a home-and-away basis.

"The AFC welcomes the historic move," a statement read. "Passionate fans across Saudi Arabia, IR Iran and the whole of Asia can now look forward to a thrilling new chapter in club and national team football as teams from SAFF and FFIRI compete in the spirit of competition and camaraderie."