Saudi Arabia has attracted international attention with one diplomatic initiative after another – normalization with Iran, peace talks with the Yemeni Houthis, efforts to broker a ceasefire in Sudan, and hosting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during an Arab League Summit, etc.

Most recently, Saudi Arabia hosted senior officials from dozens of countries for a summit on peace talks over Ukraine.

Some people say things are changing in the Saudi foreign policy, with Riyadh, as an ally of Washington, setting its own agenda and balancing between global players to maximize its own gains.

We take a look at Saudi Arabia’s perceived pursuit of strategic autonomy.

Host Ding Heng is joined by Greg Barton, Professor of Global Islamic Politics at Deakin University; Dr. Wang Jin, Middle East expert and Associate Professor with Northwest University in Xi'an, China; Dr. Ben Rich, Senior lecturer in International Relations and History at Curtin University.