GZERO World Clips
From Biden’s pariah to core partner: US Saudi visit a win for MBS
Ian Explains: From Biden’s Pariah to Core Partner | US Saudi Visit a Win for MBS | GZERO World
July 25, 2022
In October 2018, Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was murdered in Istanbul. The CIA says de-facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, aka MBS, gave the order.
That led US President Joe Biden to ghost MBS, and even label him a "pariah."
But after Biden's recent Middle East trip, the Saudi crown prince now looks less like a pariah and more like a partner, Ian Bremmer explains on GZERO World.
MBS, for his part, deserves credit for some reforms in the kingdom, and the Saudis have warmed toward Israel on his watch.
Still, Biden didn't get much out of his visit, and the trip was largely viewed as a big win for the Saudis.
Watch the GZERO World episode: Saudi Arabia’s repressive power politics
More For You
Ukraine is bringing the war to Russia, challenging one of the conflict's biggest assumptions: that time is on Vladimir Putin's side. Former Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba joins Ian Bremmer to discuss whether the war is entering a new phase.
Most Popular
Think you know what's going on around the world? Here's your chance to prove it.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a session at the Knesset, Israel's parliament, before it dissolves ahead of the 2026 Israeli elections, in Jerusalem, Israel, on July 16, 2026.
REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun
Israel’s parliament affirmed that the country will hold a national election on Oct. 27.
Several hundred Kyiv residents gather in front of Ivana Franka Theater to protest the dismissal of the Ukrainian Minister of Defense Mykhailo Fedorov by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, on July 16, 2026, in Kyiv, Ukraine.
Justin Yau/ Sipa USA
President Volodymyr Zelensky’s decision to remove Mykhailo Fedorov on Wednesday has not gone down well with the Ukrainian public.
© 2025 GZERO Media. All Rights Reserved | A Eurasia Group media company.