After 10 months of soured relations, Saudi Arabia and Germany have agreed to turn a new page. Saudi Arabia pulled its ambassador to Berlin last year over comments about the political crisis in Lebanon.
Image: imago/photothek/F. Gaertner
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Germany and Saudi Arabia have agreed to end a diplomatic dispute that has strained ties between the two countries for almost a year, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas announced Tuesday.
At the UN General Assembly in New York, Maas said Germany regrets the "misunderstanding" that prompted Saudi Arabia to withdraw its ambassador in November 2017.
"In recent months, our relations have witnessed a misunderstanding which stands in sharp contrast to our otherwise strong and strategic ties with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and we sincerely regret this," Maas said alongside his Saudi counterpart, Adel al-Jubeir.
"We should have been clearer in our communication and engagement in order to avoid such misunderstandings between Germany and the kingdom," he said.
Modernization, without criticism
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Lebanon and Middle East 'adventurism'
The diplomatic dispute between Berlin and Riyadh was sparked last November when former German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said Saudi Arabia was meddling in Lebanon's political affairs.
At the time, Lebanon's Prime Minister Saad Hariri had announced his resignation while abroad in Saudi Arabia. The move sparked accusations that Riyadh had forced him to resign — charges the Saudis denied. Hariri later revoked his resignation and returned to Lebanon.
Controversial comments by former German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel sparked the disputeImage: Getty Images/S. Gallup
Gabriel also criticized what he described as "adventurism" in the Middle East, which some interpreted as an attack on Saudi foreign policy in the region, particularly in the Yemen conflict where forces led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are fighting Iran-aligned Houthis.
Gabriel's remarks angered Riyadh, leading the Saudis to withdraw their ambassador to Germany and to deny accreditation for Germany's ambassador. Germany's exports to Saudi Arabia also dropped 5 percent in the first half of 2018.
Chancellor Angela Merkel has been working to try and smooth over the dispute by speaking on the phone with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. A German government document also showed that Berlin recently authorized a delivery of weapons to Saudi Arabia after agreeing to halt arms sales to other countries involved in the Yemen conflict.
Al-Jubeir said he welcomed Germany's statement and invited Maas to Saudi Arabia in order to strengthen ties between the two countries. Saudi Arabia's ambassador is expected to return to Berlin in the coming weeks.
Saudi Arabia: Reforms or just power games?
Dozens of princes and former ministers have been arrested in Saudi Arabia in a wide-ranging crackdown on corruption. Could Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman be cementing his control by undermining potential rivals?
Image: Reuters/M. al-Sayaghi
Formation of an anti-corruption committee
Dozens of princes, former ministers and prominent businessmen have been detained across Saudi Arabia in an unprecedented anti-corruption campaign. The arrests happened after King Salman ordered the creation of an anti-corruption committee, headed by his son, Crown Prince Mohammed.
Image: picture-alliance/abaca/B. Press
Reforming the country or silencing potential rivals?
The newly formed committee possesses wide ranging powers, including the ability to issue arrest warrants, freeze assets and impose travel bans. Saudi Arabia's crown prince has vowed to fight corruption in the world's top oil exporter. Thirty-two-year-old Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman al-Saud is widely regarded as the driving force behind opening up the ultra-conservative country.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Images/N. Asfouri
One of Middle East’s richest in hot waters
One of the arrested, Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, is a billionaire and business tycoon who has extensive investments in Western companies such as Twitter, Apple, Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation, Citigroup, the Four Seasons hotel chains and the ride sharing service Lyft. One of the Middle East's richest persons, Prince Alwaleed, is also known for being one of the most outspoken Saudi royals.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/F. Nureldine
'Homeland will not exist unless corruption is uprooted'
The detainees include ex-finance minister Ibrahim al-Assaf and former head of the royal court Khaled al-Tuwaijri. Three former state officials were also sacked earlier before being detained. "The homeland will not exist unless corruption is uprooted and the corrupt are held accountable," said a royal degree connected to the arrests.
Image: Getty Images
Too much happening too quickly
In other developments, the Saudi monarch removed the prominent prince in charge of the National Guard. The development followed the resignation of a close ally, Lebanon's prime minister Saad Hariri. These political developments further shake up Saudi Arabia and the greater Middle East as regional conflicts rage on the kingdom's borders.
