Despite recent tensions, Mohammed bin Salman is set to visit Amman in an attempt to build a united position ahead of a major summit in July
by: Mohammad Ersan
Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman started his three-country regional tour late on Monday that will include Egypt, Jordan, and Turkey.
Reportedly, the goal of this tour is to "coordinate efforts to stand up to Iran and to discuss political issues".
While Saudi Arabia's relations with its other regional neighbours are hardly blemish-free, the visit to Jordan is set to dredge up a number of issues that have caused tensions between the two Arab monarchies.
Among the causes of tension between the two countries has been the struggle over Jordanian custodianship of Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, and purported Saudi links to a coup attempt that almost destabilised Jordan last year.
At the same time, Jordan's government is keen to boost economic ties between the two countries, as spiralling inflation threatens to cause chaos in the kingdom. The last grant that Saudi Arabia gave to Jordan was four years ago in April 2018, when Jordan's treasury received $50m.
Saudi Arabia had previously committed to support Jordan over five years to the tune of $250m, to be provided yearly in $50m installments.
Amman hopes to persuade the Saudis to deliver further financial aid to help in proposed "modernisation" efforts targeting the kingdom's economy. The cost of the plan is reportedly $4bn annually for 10 years.
Political commentator Hassan Barari told Middle East Eye that the visit of the Saudi crown prince to Jordan was also aimed at "coordination" ahead of a visit by US President Joe Biden, set for mid-July.
"Biden wants to inaugurate a Sunni coalition against Iran while also integrating Israel in this coalition in order to the make the Israeli occupiers an element in the stability of the region instead of being a troublesome element," he said. Jordan has a tactical interest in cutting down Iran, Barari added, but the strategic cost was not in Jordan’s favour.
Though Jordan has recognised Israel since 1994, the kingdom's role in championing the rights of the Palestinians and protecting the Jerusalem holy sites could end up being severely weakened if it works to include its Saudi neighbour in an anti-Iran front at a time when Israeli repression of Palestinians has reached new heights.
"It means the need to integrate Israel at a time of the disappearance of the two-state solution and the denial of the rights of the Palestinian people," he said.
"This weakens Jordan, a champion of the two-state solution, and will leave Jordan without a negotiating card. This would be a gift to the Israeli occupiers and will encourage them to further encroach on the Palestinian territories in order to make them more Jewish."
Jeddah Summit
On the bilateral level, there is a large Saudi population in Jordan and there is a decent turnover in bilateral trade between the two countries.