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From Biden’s pariah to core partner: US Saudi visit a win for MBS

July 25, 2022
GZERO Staff
Ian Explains: From Biden’s Pariah to Core Partner | US Saudi Visit a Win for MBS | GZERO World

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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
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