ABSTRACT
Public diplomacy refers specifically to efforts to influence another state using various instruments. These vary from trading agreements and military training to loans and investment. A state’s established friendly diplomatic relationships will never put an end to the potential for hostility in the public arena – specifically in the media and national political bodies. The strengths of the Saudi–British relationship could be seen as multidimensional, which is the public position of the respective governments. The international landscape is being transformed by hyper-connectivity, social media and the rapid rise of direct people-to-people connections unmediated by states. The culture of ostentatious wealth, oppressive attitudes towards women and minorities, and intolerance of other religions and especially political opposition is likely to widen the gap between the elite and public discourse. A crucial factor in the negative national image of Saudi Arabia’s derives from its close identification with Islam.
