Riyadh has reportedly been mulling the purchase of S-300PMU Russian air-defense missile systems and other arms worth as much as $4 billion, possibly as an inducement to Moscow not to supply such advanced weapons to Iran.The Russians are doing just that and their relations with Tehran appear to going sour. So what's holding up a deal with Riyadh that would signal a potentially major geopolitical shift in the Middle East?
According to Mark N. Katz, professor of government and politics at George Mason University in Virginia, "Russia's relationship may not be the most important factor in Saudi-Russian arms negotiations and the delay in reaching a deal on air-defense missile systems in particular may be because of other reasons."
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Missile deals are only part or Russia's growing interest in the Middle East. The other part is the growing Arab-Russian cultural ties. A few months ago I read that Russia had launched an Arabic-language newspaper, called Anbaa Moscow, which they are distributing all over the Middle East. I can't believe its not getting more coverage, its really significant!
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