Analysis | Hamas in Saudi Arabia: ‘Opportunity’ to Strengthen Its Position at Palestinian Authority’s Expense

Senior Hamas officials are expected to participate in an upcoming visit to Saudi Arabia, a move which members of the faction’s political wing view as a “window of opportunity” to thaw relations with the kingdom.

Meanwhile, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is expected to visit Riyadh on Monday.

A central political figure in Hamas told Haaretz that the group’s leadership received approval from Saudi authorities for its members to participate in a pilgrimage known as the Umrah to Mecca. In contrast to the Hajj, the Umrah can take place at any time of year. The Hamas official said that even if the visit is religious, the decision has political implications.

Several Arab media outlets, including Gulf newspapers, noted that a number of senior Hamas officials are among those visiting, including political bureau head Ismail Haniyeh, who will lead the delegation.

Deputy head Khalil al-Hayya, Haniyeh’s predecessor Khaled Meshal and Musa Abu Marzouq – who is responsible for foreign affairs – will also participate. According to media reports, these senior officials would not have received permission to make a pilgrimage without a green light from the palace in Riyadh and Saudi intelligence. Hamas officials are hesitant to share details of the visit, and on when it is expected to take place. The senior officials will likely arrive on Monday or later in the week, ahead of Eid al-Fitr on Friday.

Relations between Hamas and Saudi Arabia went awry a decade ago, after Riyadh accused Hamas of undermining the Mecca agreement for Palestinian reconciliation. Hamas struggled to improve relations with Riyadh, but these efforts – at least until now – were mostly in vain. In 2015, one delegation visited the kingdom without results. For years, the Saudis also did not allow Hamas to operate within the kingdom, arresting dozens of its members, including Mohammed al-Khudari, head of its local branch, in 2019.

Hamas, as well as other Palestinian figures, see the current visit as an opening made possible by recent developments that are reconfiguring the Middle East, namely the renewal of Saudi-Iranian ties and the warming of relations between Saudi Arabia and Bashar al-Assad’s Syria.

Hamas’ relationship with Moscow also made the rapprochement possible. The Hamas leadership has maintained close ties with Moscow, who played a central role as middleman between the Saudis and Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad.

Despite the attempt by Hamas to frame the delegation’s arrival as an apolitical, religious visit, Palestinians and other Arabs see it as another step to strengthen the militants’ position at the expense of the Palestinian Authority’s waning influence. Late last week, Haniyeh hosted some 30 ambassadors and diplomats from Arab and other Muslim countries in Doha, the Qatari capital, for the traditional Iftar, when Muslims break their daily fast during Ramadan.

Haniyeh also held a series of meetings in Beirut last week with Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and senior officials of various Palestinian factions in Lebanon. Hamas officials admitted that the events of the past two weeks – including rocket fire from the Gaza Strip and southern Lebanon into Israel, regional developments and particularly the warming of Saudi-Iranian relations – have created favorable conditions for the group. These developments also explain the recent series of militant statements by its leaders, among them Haniyeh, Salah al-Arouri and Gaza leader Yahya Sinwar. The visit, however, doesn’t necessarily mean that Hamas will be allowed to operate in Saudi Arabia or Syria anytime soon.

As of now, Hamas still sees Qatar as its main base for its leadership abroad. Hamas also maintains significant ties with Turkey, Lebanon, Indonesia and Pakistan. At the same time, Hamas leaders in Gaza are wary of any step that could hurt relations with Egypt, which serves as the dominant mediator between the group and Israel while controlling the Gaza Strip’s southern border and the Sinai Peninsula.

A Hamas political bureau member said, “This opening with the Saudis is very important, and people in the organization feel good about this change in spirits in the Middle East, but caution in this instance is necessary.” The official added that Hamas is trying to avoid a conflict of interest between its goals and those of the states it is fostering ties with. He said the Egyptians are highly suspicious about the Iranians and the Turks, while the Saudis have very different interests from those of the latter two. “Every country has its map of interests, and Hamas seeks to be present and partners within this space.”

Parallel to the expected Hamas visit, PA President Abbas is set to arrive in Saudi Arabia at the invitation of King Salman for Monday night’s Iftar. Senior PA officials said they do not expect him to meet with Haniyeh.

Senior PA officials concede that the leadership is not a significant player in regional developments. Both the United States and the European Union are not showing much interest in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, save for attempts to prevent a violent flare-up. The latest meetings in Aqaba and in Sharm el-Sheikh dealt mainly with security and civil issues. One senior Fatah official said: “It’s doubtful whether something will move in a positive direction at the end of Ramadan and after Eid al-Fitr. Quite the opposite.”