This column is about Saudi Arabia, a country that is changing domestically and may be important in establishing a degree of peace and security in the Middle East. Saudi Arabia is an oil-rich monarchy ruled by the Saud dynasty. Sunni Islam is the official state religion and 97% of its population are Muslims. Its de facto ruler is Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Some recent history

In October 2018, Jamal Khashoggi, a 60-year-old journalist and frequent critic of the Saudi government, was killed at the hands of Saudi security operatives. The world reacted with deep revulsion as details of his killing and subsequent dismemberment trickled out. In 2020 then-presidential nominee Joseph Biden called Saudi Arabia “a pariah.” But in July 2022, President Biden visited Saudi Arabia. Upon landing he gave Mohammed bin Salman a friendly fist bump rather than a formal diplomatic handshake.

So what had changed? Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine caused global energy and food prices to shoot up at a time when inflation was already a problem in the United States and other nations. Biden wanted the Saudis to increase oil production to keep oil prices from spiking. He was concerned that high oil prices would exacerbate inflation at home, a political liability for an incumbent president.

Biden also wanted to re-engage with Saudi leaders (and vice versa) with two main geopolitical goals in mind: First, the hope for a possible Saudi-Israel normalization accord that would include concrete steps towards the establishment of a Palestinian state.

Second, the U.S. wanted to foster an India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor that linked the energy, infrastructure, and transit systems of this broad region in a way that created mutual benefit to the countries involved. Hopefully the corridor would also constrain the spreading influence of Iran , China and Russia. These ideas have been placed on the back burner for now due to the Israel-Hamas war that began in October 2023.

Let’s look at three 21st-century developments that should make Saudi Arabia an acceptable partner for the U.S.

Relative liberalization of society: Mohammed bin Salman has been pushing some major changes in that country’s internal life that are very much worth noting. For example, he has been promoting a more tolerant interpretation of Islam and a more open-minded understanding of religion among the country’s young population.

One consequence is that the social and economic status of women is improving. Strict dress regulations, mandatory gender segregation and a ban on women drivers have been abolished In May 2023, the Saudi biomedical engineer Rayyanah Barnawi became the first Arab woman to go into space. In the past 15 years, Saudi Arabia has offered women more chances to work outside the home in a spectrum of opportunities unthinkable to previous generations. As of 2023, 31% of Saudi women were employed.

Environmental protection: Prince Mohammed has launched the Saudi Green Initiative. According to the Saudi government, it is “focused on combating climate change and protecting the environment for future generations.” The initiative includes transitioning to a green economy, water conservation, afforestation and an investment of $186 billion to achieve those goals.

I do not want to gloss over Saudi Arabia’s shortcomings. For example, the country is not a democracy and Prince Mohammed has no intention of allowing challenges to Saudi Arabia monarchy. Although private religious practice by non-Muslims ( e.g. Christians and Hindus) is permitted, public display of religion ( e.g. openly wearing a cross) is prohibited.

Efforts to promote peace in the Middle East: The Saudi government was extremely hostile to Israel and sought its annihilation for many years. However there has been a dramatic change. The Saudi Peace Initiative of 2001, endorsed by the Arab League the following year, stated that the Arab countries “would consider the Arab-Israeli conflict ended” contingent on “a just solution to the Palestinian refugee problem” and the establishment of a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital. T

he peace initiative has not succeeded so far. Palestinian terrorism and Israel’s refusal to accept a Palestinian state are major obstacles.

Efforts to strengthen U.S.-Saudi ties are continuing. Prince Mohammed wants an agreement that would include a U.S.-Saudi security pact and a nuclear reactor, ostensibly for peaceful purposes, provided by the U.S. Our country is eager for the security pact, has reservations about the nuclear reactor and doubts that the Senate will support any agreement that doesn’t include Saudi-Israel normalization.

Why have I written a column about Saudi Arabia? The world is plagued by famine, war, climate change and an increasing number of authoritarian governments. It’s nice to know that at least one country is making progress towards a better life for its citizens, however imperfect that progress might be. It’s nice to know that our country may have a partner for peace in the Middle East.

Richard Fein of Amherst holds a master’s degree in political science and an MBA in economics.