This is more about hedging/diversification. US has had bases in Saudi Arabia since the 90s. There was some shifting to Qatar in the past then re establishment of some base infra in 2019 due to Iran.
Calling it the start of a post American order feels like headline chasing. Riyadh is hedging, not cutting ties with Washington. Islamabad is hunting for relevance.
I thought it was an interesting article. Gave some insight into the different strategic relationships between countries in the area beyond the usual discussions of their relationship with the West.
That's the point.
Hedging and multipolar tactical relations is by definition a post-America relationship, and is a result of the relative (not absolute) decline in American power.
America was able to be the sole hyperpower in the 1990s and 2000s because we were the largest economy in PPP by far in 2000 [0] with 20% of global GDP PPP and with no near competitor. In 2025, we are now at 14% of global GDP PPP [1] and outcompeted by China. And in the 2030s, the US's share of GDP PPP will converge with India's [2]
Mind you, GDP and especially GDP PPP is basically a function of production based on relative value, and China+India are seeing this growth due to a large population size along with generational reforms from the 1970s-1980s and 1990s-2000s respectively finally starting to pay off, but there is no way to deny that middle powers can now make their own economic and defense alliances independent of the "West" or "China", and will increasingly make their own poles.
For example, the fact that the newly constructed Dangote Refinery - Africa's largest refinery, and 6th largest in the world and larger than any refinery owned or operated by an American company - is built and operated by an Indian SOE [3] highlights how an entire region (West Africa) that has historically been dependent on American refining capacity from Chevron despite being a major oil producer is now working with a non-western country to remove that reliance. A Nigeria+India story, a Cambodia+China story, a Angola+Brazil story, a Vietnam+Russia story, and others are developing out of relative convergence of interests.
This is not a stable world. This means that regional conflicts can cause contagion in other conflicts in the world.
For example, the Russia-Ukraine War now pulling the South Korea, North Korea, and Japan into the conflict. Or the Thailand-Cambodia conflict, where neither the US nor China knew how to respond because it would alienate either Thailand or Cambodia to align with either the US or China.
[0] - https://www.imf.org/external/datamapper/PPPSH@WEO/OEMDC/ADVE...
[1] - https://www.imf.org/external/datamapper/PPPSH@WEO/OEMDC/ADVE...
[2] - https://www.imf.org/external/datamapper/PPPSH@WEO/OEMDC/ADVE...
[3] - https://engineersindia.com/dangote-refinery-and-petrochemica...