Saudi Arabia’s geopolitical interests in the levant and the threat perception 2011-2017

Abstract EN

This study aims at analysing and investigating Saudi Arabia’s geopolitical interests in the Levant.

The primary argument of this paper is that Riyadh’s national interests-particularly security, political and ideological – have been seriously challenged due to geopolitical developments, namely the Arab Spring and Iranian’s disruptive behaviour in the region.

The major bulk of this study is a discussion to Saudi foreign policy as well as its geostrategic interests mainly in the Levant region.

To achieve such end, this study has employed three levels of analysis approach to support the examination of primary and secondary literature on this subject in order to understand the different variables and dynamics of Saudi geopolitical interests in the Levant between 2011 and 2017.

This paper concludes that Saudi Arabia has developed different vested interests in the region, however, the rise and expansion of ISIS (Daesh) and Tehran growing expansionism in the Middle East (mainly in Syria, Lebanon and in Gaza) has posed direct threats against Saudi national interests.