Saudi Arabia Steps Up as Middle East Security Shifts

Guest: Dr. James M. Dorsey (Adjunct Senior Fellow), S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies Saudi Arabia is taking on an increasingly prominent security role in the Middle East, leading a new multinational maritime coalition to protect vital Red Sea shipping lanes while deepening military coordination with the United States. The developments come as Egypt faces its first drone attack linked to the wider regional conflict and Washington pursues a diplomatic initiative aimed at ending the war in Gaza. Do these parallel developments signal a fundamental shift in the Middle East's security architecture, and is Saudi Arabia emerging as a more influential regional power?