Belgrade – A senior Serbian security academic has called for urgent international action to curb what he describes as Saudi extremism, warning that the kingdom’s ideological posture risks destabilising the Middle East and beyond.

Dr Zoran Dragisic, professor at the Faculty of Security Studies at the University of Belgrade, argued in a recent commentary that rising tensions between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates reflect a deeper ideological confrontation between what he termed “extremism and modernity”.

According to Dr Dragišić, Saudi Arabia’s current regional posture risks inflaming political disputes through religiously charged rhetoric, potentially empowering radical actors and undermining diplomatic stabilisation efforts following the Gaza ceasefire. He warned that such narratives could resonate beyond the Gulf, with possible repercussions across Europe and the Balkans.

He contrasted what he described as the UAE’s pragmatic regional positioning with Saudi leadership under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, criticising what he characterised as an insufficient departure from the kingdom’s historical association with Wahhabism.

Dr Dragišić urged the United States and other global powers to set firm limits to prevent further ideological escalation, arguing that failure to do so could weaken broader international efforts to counter violent extremism.

His remarks add to longstanding international scrutiny of Saudi Arabia’s role in exporting Wahhabism, an issue that continues to cast a shadow over the kingdom’s attempts to reposition itself as a reforming and modernising power.