Friday 11 February 2011

FT.com - Riyadh rethinks stance on ‘popular revolt’

Saudi Arabia’s unequivocal support for Hosni Mubarak, Egyptian president, has shown signs of moderating as the kingdom seeks to appear neutral and closer to the public mood in Egypt, according to Saudi analysts.

“Saudi Arabia has recently begun to keep its distance from the situation in Egypt,’’ said a Saudi observer close to the government. “They realised the revolution is genuinely popular, with an Egyptian agenda. It was not incited by radical elements. It is not about foreign policy, US flag burning, or Palestine. It is about Egypt and they do not want to be seen as against the people.

Since the eruption of the Egyptian revolt on January 25, Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah has twice expressed his support for Mr Mubarak, attributing the violence in Egypt to “infiltrators” seeking to destabilise the Arab world’s most populous nation.

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