The Mezze Table | February 2025
Welcome to this edition of The Mezze Table, Ananta’s insights on West Asia and the Gulf. From geopolitics and strategy to business and culture, this bulletin captures the trends, insights, and shifting sands of diplomacy that are shaping the region.
Beyond Oil & Olives: Saudi Arabia and Italy Cook Up a Strategic Feast
Against the backdrop of the breathtaking rock formations of the ancient oasis city of AlUla, Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman formalized a historic agreement on 26 January, signing 26 deals worth $10 billion and elevating the bilateral relationship between their countries to the level of a strategic partnership.
The presence of key public and private-sector figures from both countries underscored the strategic intent to deepen economic and diplomatic ties, culminating in the establishment of the Saudi-Italian Strategic Partnership Council. The significance of the partnership was emphasized at the Fourth Italo-Arab Business Forum, reinforcing the growing economic collaboration between Italy and the Arab world.
Defence, Diplomacy and Economic Strategy
As Prime Minister Meloni signaled her support for Saudi Arabia’s potential entry into the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), Italian defence companies secured several deals. Aerospace giant Leonardo signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Investment (MISA) and the General Authority for Military Industries (GAMI) to promote investment and collaboration in the aerospace and defence sector. Electronic warfare company Elettronica Group (ELT) entered into an MoU with Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI) and Advanced Electronics Company (AEC) to collaborate in electronic warfare and defence electronics, aligning with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 goals.Italy’s export credit agency, SACE, committed $3 billion in loan guarantees to support Saudi Arabia’s ambitious NEOM real estate project.
Furthermore, the ambitious India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), signed on September 10, 2023, was not lost in this high-level visit. The billion-dollar investments spanning multiple sectors reflect Italy’s broader geopolitical and economic goals of strengthening trade and infrastructure links with the Middle East and Asia. Having exited BRI last year, Rome is advancing its strategic engagement with IMEC by appointing a special envoy to oversee the initiative. Italy, aside,
France and Greece are also keen to capitalize on the IMEC momentum.
Once a strong critic of Saudi Arabia, Prime Minister Meloni now acknowledges the Kingdom’s great strategic importance in the Middle East. Italy’s investments across multiple sectors reflect its broader geopolitical and economic goals of strengthening trade and infrastructure links with the Middle East and Asia, and its ambition to position itself as a key player in shaping Europe’s aspirations in the region.
Meloni also travelled to Bahrain for a historic meeting with King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the first visit by an Italian Head of Government to the Kingdom. The high-level visits immediately followed the reappointment of Piero Fassino as the Chair of the Sub-Committee on the Middle East and the Arab World in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, signaling Italy’s long-term engagement with the region.
Gaza’s Coast: Trump’s ‘Riviera’ Plan Complicates Peace Efforts
The initial phase of the truce, during which both sides have agreed to release certain numbers of hostages and prisoners, is scheduled to conclude on 1 March. United States President Donald Trump’s special Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff is likely to travel to the region to push for negotiations for an extension of the agreement. Hamas has expressed its willingness to release all remaining hostages in a single exchange if a permanent ceasefire is established. This phase would also involve discussions on the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and the future governance of the territory.
However, hardline opposition within Israel and President Trump’s proposal to relocate Palestinians to Jordan and Egypt as the US takes over Gaza to build a “riviera”, present significant challenges to reaching a comprehensive agreement.
Trump’s plan, unveiled on 4 February at a joint White House press conference with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, triggered international criticism. Jordan’s long-standing opposition to taking in additional Palestinian refugees was reiterated by King Abdullah during his visit to Washington DC, and Amman was reported to have signalled that it would consider any move to push in people displaced from Gaza as a declaration of war. Saudi Arabia too, reiterated its “firm and unwavering” commitment to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state and unequivocally opposed any forced displacement of Palestinians. Saudi officials emphasized that normalization of relations with Israel would not occur without the realization of a sovereign Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.
From Helsinki to Abu Dhabi: Collaboration in Education
21 February marked 50 years of the diplomatic relationship between the UAE and Finland. At the opening of a new Finnish embassy in Abu Dhabi, Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, who visited the UAE from 13-15 January, spoke of the strong partnership between the countries and expressed his hope for continued growth and development collaboration.
Vice President, Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum noted the UAE’s aspirations to deepen collaboration with Finland in the fields of education, healthcare, technology, artificial intelligence, renewable energy, space, and telecommunications. Sheikh Mohammed also emphasized the importance of providing incentives and support to the private sectors of both nations to unlock new opportunities and expand the scope of their partnership.
Education, Innovation and Tech Collaboration
Helsinki and Abu Dhabi are collaborating closely in teacher training, digital learning, research, and startup ecosystems. As Abu Dhabi continues to invest in knowledge-based industries, Finland’s expertise in technology, sustainability, and education is playing an important role to shape the UAE’s educational and innovation landscape of the future.
In the 2010-2011 academic year, the Abu Dhabi-Finnish School Programme was introduced as a pilot project in two primary schools: Al Ameen Primary School for Boys in Abu Dhabi and Hili Primary School for Girls in Al Ain. The initiative was designed to incorporate Finnish educational methodologies into the UAE’s schooling system, emphasizing student-centred learning, critical thinking, and holistic development.
In May 2024, the UAE-based Ghobash Group partnered with Finland’s HEI Schools to implement a research-driven Early Childhood Education model for children aged 0-6 years in the UAE. The collaboration aims to enhance early childhood education standards in the UAE by integrating Finnish pedagogical strategies that foster creativity and promote lifelong learning from an early age.
The 14 January meeting of the UAE’s Minister of Education, Sarah Al Amiri with Prime Minister Orpo at the Zayed Educational Complex in Dubai focused on strengthening educational cooperation, advancing innovation in teaching methodologies, and expanding academic collaboration between institutions in their two countries.
Power Pairing: Turkey and Pakistan Talk Trade and Ties
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited Pakistan on 12-13 February with the aim to bolster the longstanding relationship between the two countries, and to chart a strategic path forward through closer economic ties and united positions on regional and global challenges.
The visit of the President, who was warmly received in Islamabad by Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, was centred on the 7th session of the Pakistan-Turkey High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council (HLSCC).
The two countries signed 24 agreements and Memorandums of Understanding to enhance cooperation in various sectors, including trade and defence.They committed themselves to elevating their annual bilateral trade to $5 billion from the current $1.5 billion, an ambition that is supported by the Preferential Trade Agreement the two countries signed in May 2023, reducing tariffs on a range of products.
The two countries also discussed international issues of mutual concern. Erdogan criticized Israel’s actions in Gaza and condemned plans to forcibly displace Palestinians, emphasizing that “Gaza belongs to our Gazan brothers and sisters and will remain so forever”. Prime Minister Sharif expressed gratitude for Turkey’s support for Pakistan’s position on the Kashmir issue, and reaffirmed his country’s “unwavering” support to Turkey over Northern Cyprus.
Both countries underscored the importance of preventing Afghanistan from becoming a haven for terrorist organizations, and urged the Afghan government to take decisive action against groups like the Pakistani Taliban (TTP) and the Islamic State.
Wait, What? A Rabbi, a Drag Queen, and the Reinvention of Faith
How does an orthodox Abrahamic faith deal with unorthodox gender identity and assertion? The documentary Sabbath Queen by the American filmmaker Sandi DuBowski, best known for his exploration of LGBT people and religion, tracks the journey of Israeli-born Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie from his traumatic outing to the cultivation of a boundary-pushing drag persona, and the founding of the “artist-driven, God-optional” Lab/Shul “experimental community for sacred Jewish gatherings”.
The documentary, filmed over two decades, travels from the terrorist attacks of 11 September, 2001 to the 7 October 2023 Hamas raids in southern Israel. It premiered at the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival and was released in the US this January.
“There is a yearning for Jewishness that looks [21st-century] reality in the eye with compassion and kindness [and inclusiveness]… I feel like my convictions are real. I’m coming from a real place of being in service. But who knows?” Rabbi Amichai said when asked how history might treat his chosen path.
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