The recent dynamic evolution in the southern neighbourhood and in the broader Middle East region was stimulated by significant economic and diplomatic achievements, which are also reflected in the 2023 Normandy Index ranking: Oman (+18 to 14th), Qatar (+13 to 19th), United Arabic Emirates (+11 to 24th), Kuwait (+7 to 28th), Bahrain (+33 to 53rd) and Saudi Arabia (+18 to 55th). Saudi Arabia’s quest for what experts refer to as more pronounced strategic autonomy, has led to a degree of reconciliation with Iran mediated by China. On 6 June 2023, following a seven-year rupture, the Iranian embassy reopened in Riyadh and Saudi Arabia took steps to reopen its embassy in Tehran. Reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Iran will also impact the security situation in Lebanon (-8 to 121st); as well as in Israel (-2 to 59th), where massive civil society demonstrations protest the Netanyahu government plans for judicial reform.
In its resolution on promoting regional stability and security in the broader Middle East region, adopted in November 2022, the European Parliament called for the EU to support these diplomatic efforts towards reconciliation wherever possible and to encourage ‘regional ownership and responsibility for de-escalating tensions in the Middle East’. In March 2023, the EU welcomed resumption of bilateral relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran: ‘as both countries are central for the security of the region, the resumption of their bilateral relations can contribute to the stabilisation of the region as a whole’.
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