The Saudi royal house is trying to conduct business as usual between a huge investment conference, fashion week and hugs with Ronaldo, but the war has already disrupted his political initiatives, and may sabotage economic plans as well.

With the exception of a few statements condemning Israel's response in Gaza, the Saudi royal family tries to broadcast "business as usual". 

And so, during the war, the crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman (known as MBS), hosted the annual investment conference, known as "Davos in the desert", with the participation of senior business leaders. The fashion week took place unchanged. 

No less important for the royal house and the citizens of the kingdom was to hold the so-called "Riyadh season" - a series of events that opened on October 28, where athletes, actors and musicians from around the world are hosted and various performances are held at 12 sites. 

A few days earlier, MBS met with FIFA president and footballer Ronaldo (who plays for the Saudi Al-Nasser team), to announce the holding of the first eSports world championship of its kind in Saudi Arabia in 2024.

Contrary to the image that the kingdom tries to convey, business is really not as usual. 

The war has already disrupted some of the kingdom's political initiatives, and it may also disrupt the economic plans. It would not be an exaggeration to estimate that the war for the Saudis was a kind of mega attack.

The first attack was in the normalization of Saudi Arabia with Israel through the United States. Spokesmen from Iran and Hamas admitted fully that one of the goals of the attack on Israel was to torpedo normalization. The "resistance" axis led by Iran saw the emerging normalization as a strategic move designed to change the regional balance of power in favor of the US, Israel, Saudi Arabia and the countries of the "Abraham Accords".

This move was supposed to have enormous security, political and economic consequences for Saudi Arabia. From a security point of view, the agreement was supposed to link it to a defense alliance with the US. Politically, it was supposed to strengthen the alliance of moderate countries in the Middle East against Iran and its proxies. Equally important was the economic aspect: normalization with Israel was supposed to help economic development projects in Saudi Arabia - especially in the city of the future Niom - but also in the region. Thus, for example, at the 20 G summit held in India in September, US President Joe Biden announced a plan to build a "railway and shipping corridor" that would connect India with the Middle East and Europe, via Saudi Arabia.

As a result of the war, and apparently to curb the expected criticism from Arab and Muslim publics, Saudi Arabia announced the suspension of normalization negotiations with Israel.

The second attack was on regional stability. Saudi Arabia's policy throughout the years is to act to ensure stability in the Middle East, which guarantees the stability of the Saudi regime and the uninterrupted flow of oil. 

Recently, this stability is even more important against the background of the Saudi desire to attract foreign investors and develop the tourism sector in the kingdom as part of the "Saudi Arabia Vision 2030" which is designed to diversify the Saudi economy. 

Therefore, in 2021, Saudi Arabia put an end to the boycott it led on Qatar and recently even renewed its diplomatic relations with Iran, in order to secure its eastern flank, and deepened its relations with China. 

All these initiatives came to naught, when Hamas launched the murderous attack, which made it clear to the Saudis - if there was still a need - who are its real allies.

Even if it won't admit it publicly, the Saudi government is interested in weakening - if not eliminating - Hamas. 

The fact that such a small organization managed to humiliate the great kingdom and make it suspend normalization will surely not be forgotten. 

On October 31, the White House spokesman for national security affairs stated that Saudi Arabia is still interested in signing a normalization agreement with Israel after the end of the war. It therefore seems that the Saudis are determined to implement their plan. 

In doing so, they will turn the mega-terrorist attack into a mega-deal and give Iran and its proxies - and especially Hamas - a mega-response.

Source: Globes (Israel)