Suggestions that the Kingdom should use its economic clout against countries tolerating or encouraging a hostile attitude towards it were discussed on the second day of the international conference on "The image of Saudi Arabia in the world." Some participants said it was time to reach out to expatriates working in the Kingdom, who could play an important role in correcting negative perceptions about Saudi Arabia once they returned home. Representatives of Saudi Aramco and BAE Systems spoke on the role of their respective organizations in projecting the Kingdom in its proper perspective, while another line of thinking favored priming the mass media with the Arab point of view. Dr. Fahd Al-Tayyash, associate professor of mass communications at King Saud University, chaired the session.

Setting the tone of the discussions at King Faisal Hall, Professor Grigori Kosach of the Institute of Asian and African Studies at Moscow State University, said Saudi Arabia's image had been dented in the Russian media due to its alleged support of the opposition in Chechnya. Speaking in fluent Arabic, Grigori said there have been frequent reports in the Russian media citing Saudi charitable organizations for their support to the opposition parties, notably in Chechnya and other Muslim-majority republics.
It was also believed that the Muslim community remained isolated from the mainstream of sociopolitical life in those republics. The general impression was that such an isolationist tendency among the Muslims was the result of the extremism that Islam preached. "It is also believed that Saudi Arabia is behind acts of terrorism in Chechnya."

In another presentation, Dr. Towfiq Al-Swailem, economic consultant, Dar Al-Khaleej, and Dr. Abdul Aziz Al-Mogoushi, assistant secretary-general at the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce & Industry, spoke on the theme of using the Kingdom's economic clout as part of an orchestrated drive against the anti-Saudi campaign. Quoting from a paper prepared by Dr. Al-Mogoushi, Dr. Al-Swailem said the Kingdom has spent billions of dollars since 1975 on imports of goods from abroad. Moreover, an estimated $600-$800 billion had been invested abroad, 60% in US markets. He argued that it was time "Saudi Arabia also speaks in the language that the West understands."

Dr. Al-Swailem explained that economic pressure could be exerted through government channels especially when awarding contracts to countries. In this context, he said, the Kingdom could consider having China, Japan and India as strategic partners to keep up the pressure on the West. He claimed that the US market's share of the Kingdom's international trade stands at $176 billion and Japan's at $78 billion. An alliance with China, Japan and India could be a strategic option if the West does not mend its ways.

Note: The correct Western rejoinder to these threats is a switch from Saudi Arabian to Russian oil. China, Japan and India are unlikely to join an anti-American bloc led by an Arab state. Indeed, they are more likely to increase their volume of Western contracts.