Although there are many positive signs to show that Egyptian-Saudi bilateral relations are very good, the rise of the Shia Houthi group in Yemen and the conclusion of the US-Iranian nuclear deal have raised alarm bells in Riyadh. They provide more pressing reasons for Saudi Arabia to ease its traditional stand on the Islamist groups, especially the Muslim Brotherhood, in the hope of forming a strong Sunni axis to face the strengthening Shia axis in the region. Such moves will not be welcomed by the Egyptian government, which ousted the former Brotherhood regime in June 2013. Egyptian-Saudi relations were brought into question earlier this month after Saudi monarch King Salman's meeting with exiled Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal. The meeting not only signalled a possible new era of Hamas rapprochement with Saudi Arabia, but also showed how much the Sunni-Shia conflict is impacting the region. The meeting was a “clear result” of the Sunni-Shia confrontation, said one diplomat speaking on condition of anonymity. Hamas is a Sunni organisation, and by opening channels with Hamas Saudi Arabia was trying to confront Shia influence in the region, led by Iran, he said. Since the start of the Yemeni crisis, the diplomat explained, Saudi King Salman had partially changed the Saudi stand on Islamist groups including Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood in order to gain their support in forming a Sunni coalition against the Houthis in Yemen. “Saudi Arabia could be partially motivated by a desire to weaken Iran by drawing Hamas away from Tehran's influence as well,” the diplomat added. Nabil Zaki, a member of the leftist Al-Tagammu Party, agreed that there had been a change in Saudi policies under King Salman. “Riyadh believes that its coalition with the Sunni groups, including those that support violence and terrorism, will serve its fight against the Shia or Iranian influence in the Arab region in general and in Yemen in particular,” Zaki said. However, he said this was a “wrong assumption” as “Saudi Arabia has been harmed before by these groups, and it is very likely that it can be harmed by them again in the future.” The Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas have reciprocated the Saudi stand by cautiously siding with Riyadh in its airstrikes against the Houthis in Yemen in Operation Decisive Storm. The Salman-Meshaal meeting was the highest level get-together between the two sides since the outbreak of the Arab Spring revolutions in early 2011, and it appeared to end a prolonged period of mutual mistrust between Hamas and Riyadh. It was attended by Meshaal's deputy Moussa Abu Marzouk, Saudi crown prince Mohamed bin Nayef and deputy crown prince Mohamed bin Salman, the king's son and defence minister. Hamas described the meeting as “successful” and expressed the hope that it would go on to develop more cordial relations between the group and Saudi Arabia. The meeting also reflected the change in attitude towards Hamas on the part of King Salman, who came to power in January after the death of his predecessor King Abdullah. Top Hamas members had been denied entry to Saudi Arabia under King Abdullah. The meeting came a few days after the conclusion of the US-Iranian nuclear deal, a step that Saudi officials have criticised, expressing fears that it will increase the Iranian and consequently Shia influence in the region. Zaki described such fears as unfounded, however, asking why Egypt should fear Iran's nuclear programme when Cairo had tried decades ago under former president Gamal Abdel-Nasser to develop a similar programme. “The Arab states and the Arab League should consider this as a golden opportunity to call on the international community to apply to Israel the same measures it has applied to Iran,” he said. However, the diplomat disagreed with Zaki, saying that the nuclear deal would open the door to greater Iranian influence in the region and would prompt other states inside and close to the region to follow suit. Resolving the Syrian crisis is another issue seeing differences between Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Cairo is in favour of a political solution that keeps the present regime in place and protects Syria from fragmentation, whereas Riyadh prefers a change in the regime. Saudi Arabia has taken a strict stand on the Islamist movements in the region and led by the Muslim Brotherhood after the eruption of the Arab Spring revolutions in 2011. After Egypt's 30 June Revolution, that stand became stronger, with the Saudi and Emirati governments taking a united stand in support of the new government in Egypt and against the ousted Brotherhood regime. That clear support has now weakened on the part of Saudi Arabia, and Riyadh has recently had other priorities that require its full attention, namely Iran and the rise of IS in Syria, Iraq, Libya and Yemen. Fighting the Brotherhood, whose position in the region has weakened, has become less of a priority for Riyadh. However, Cairo has not felt the need to be worried at this change in priorities, and it is unlikely there will be any changes in the short term. Saudi Arabia has also not given any sign that it expects Egypt to ease up on its clampdown on the Brotherhood. Meanwhile, there are clear signs that Egyptian-Saudi relations are as sound as ever in spite of differences. Saudi Arabia was keen to play down the significance of the Meshaal visit to Egypt and other states, saying it was only a “religious pilgrimage” and Riyadh's position on the Palestinian movement remained the same. “There was no political visit by Hamas to the Kingdom,” Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir said at a joint news conference with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukri. Shoukri's tour of the region last week, which took him to the UAE and Kuwait as well as Saudi Arabia, aimed to boost bilateral relations and discuss various regional issues. During his visit to Saudi Arabia, Shoukri met with top Saudi officials including King Salman, the crown prince, and the ministers of defence and foreign affairs. The talks were in line with the strong relations between the two countries, which have similar visions regarding regional and international issues and the ways to deal with the threats facing the region, said Badr Abdel-Ati, Foreign Ministry spokesman. The interests of Egypt and Saudi Arabia may sometimes differ, but both states have one major issue before them, namely “to combat terrorism and end the Sunni-Shia conflict,” Zaki said. “The Arab states should avoid any measures likely to ignite that conflict because this is the aim of states and parties that want to see the Arab region weak and fragmented,” he said. “The responsibility for changes in any Arab state should be left to the people of the state concerned and not be put in the hands of any external party, be they the US, Qatar, Turkey or others,” Zaki concluded.
