With Saudi-PGA deal, once-shunned crown prince makes dramatic move to extend kingdom’s influence
1 year, 6 months ago

With Saudi-PGA deal, once-shunned crown prince makes dramatic move to extend kingdom’s influence

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — After years of isolation over his human rights abuses, Saudi Arabia’s crown prince is elevating his standing in the United States in part by diving into American sports, business and culture. Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, who in 2018 had promised a “tsunami” of opposition against the crown prince over Saudi Arabia’s killing of U.S.-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi, tweeted the PGA-LIV tour merger was “beyond exciting.” He noted it could benefit the golf industry in his state of South Carolina. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited the crown prince, and Iran reopened its embassy in Saudi Arabia, the same day as Saudi Arabia’s stunning breakthrough in U.S. sports. It’s also unclear if the golf deal and Saudi Arabia’s other investments in the U.S. have won over enough of its critics in Congress, including those objecting to Saudi Arabia’s much-desired arms purchases from the U.S. “So weird,” Sen. Chris Murphy, a Connecticut Democrat and lasting critic of the crown prince’s rights abuses, tweeted after the golf announcements.

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History of this topic

‘China on Steroids’: A Saudi Path to a Peaceful, Modern Middle East
1 week, 4 days ago

‘China on Steroids’: A Saudi Path to a Peaceful, Modern Middle East

Politico  

This, in a couple of nutshells, is today’s Saudi Arabia, as transformed with a firm hand by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. “We won’t just cut a deal.” Some speculate that King Salman, out of view mostly and giving MBS a free hand, has weighed in to rule out normalization without a good solution for the Palestinians. “We’ve moved from …

Saudi Crown Prince Reached Out to Trump in Late-Night Phone Call
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Saudi Crown Prince Reached Out to Trump in Late-Night Phone Call

Live Mint  

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman called Donald Trump in the early hours of Wednesday to express his joy at the Republican’s return to power, according to two people with knowledge of the exchange. Saudi Arabia’s 39-year old de facto ruler placed the call shortly after Trump delivered his victory speech in Palm Beach, Florida, said the two individuals, …

'Sketchy foreign business deals': Report exposes 'new links between Saudi and Trump'
3 months, 3 weeks ago

'Sketchy foreign business deals': Report exposes 'new links between Saudi and Trump'

Raw Story  

Donald Trump has long been criticized for what some have called corrupt foreign practices involving money coming from foreign nations, but those issues are only growing deeper, according to a new report. If anything, foreign governments — including brand-new regimes that weren’t involved in Trump’s first whirlwind in the White House — have only spied new opportunities to burrow into …

The Saudi Crown Prince Is Talking About An Assassination. His Own.
4 months, 1 week ago

The Saudi Crown Prince Is Talking About An Assassination. His Own.

Politico  

The broad contours of the largely secret and still-developing pact have emerged in various reports, including my own. It also would establish diplomatic and other ties with Israel — a huge boon for the Israelis given Saudi Arabia’s importance among Muslim nations. “The way he put it was, ‘Saudis care very deeply about this, and the street throughout the Middle …

Saudi Arabia tops sovereign wealth spending league with $31.5bn investment spree
11 months, 3 weeks ago

Saudi Arabia tops sovereign wealth spending league with $31.5bn investment spree

The Telegraph  

Elsewhere, the PIF spent $4.9bn last April to buy Californian mobile game developer Scopely, while 2023 also saw it become a major shareholder in Japan’s Nintendo. The PIF had a relatively modest presence on the global stage until it was reformulated eight years ago by Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler. The Crown Prince, who is …

Saudi crown prince says normalization deal with Israel gets ‘closer’ every day
1 year, 3 months ago

Saudi crown prince says normalization deal with Israel gets ‘closer’ every day

CNN  

Abu Dhabi, UAE CNN — Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said that his country was moving “closer” each day toward reaching a normalization deal with Israel, the first time he has publicly acknowledged the process. We need to solve that part,” MBS said, adding that he wants to see Israel as a “player in the Middle East.” Israeli …

Saudi Crown Prince MbS says getting 'closer' to Israel normalisation
1 year, 3 months ago

Saudi Crown Prince MbS says getting 'closer' to Israel normalisation

The Hindu  

Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said in a U.S. television interview that his country was moving steadily closer to normalizing relations with Israel and also warned that if Iran gets a nuclear weapon, “we have to get one.” "Every day we get closer," the crown prince told Fox News according to excerpts of an interview to be shown …

Saudi crown prince says in rare interview ‘every day we get closer’ to normalization with Israel
1 year, 3 months ago

Saudi crown prince says in rare interview ‘every day we get closer’ to normalization with Israel

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said in a rare interview with Fox News on Wednesday that negotiations over Israel means the prospects of normalized relations between both countries “get closer” every day, but that treatment of Palestinians remains a “very important” issue to be resolved. Netanyahu’s office said the meeting “mostly dealt with ways to establish an …

Saudi Crown Prince MBS says Israel normalisation getting ‘closer’
1 year, 3 months ago

Saudi Crown Prince MBS says Israel normalisation getting ‘closer’

Al Jazeera  

In an interview with US broadcaster Fox, crown prince says Palestinian issue still very important to Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has said that his country was moving steadily closer to normalising relations with Israel, following similar moves from other Gulf countries, and amid a big push by the United States for a Saudi-Israeli deal. “Every …

America’s pursuit of Saudi-Israel rapprochement
1 year, 4 months ago

America’s pursuit of Saudi-Israel rapprochement

The Hindu  

The proverbial propensity of the ‘Middle East’ to spring surprises is on call again. The White House has had tepid relations with leaders of both countries, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman. It has gained traction in recent months with the U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and U.S. Secretary of …

As Blinken visits, top Saudi diplomat says kingdom seeks US nuclear aid but ‘others’ also bidding
1 year, 6 months ago

As Blinken visits, top Saudi diplomat says kingdom seeks US nuclear aid but ‘others’ also bidding

Associated Press  

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister said after meeting with the visiting U.S. secretary of state on Thursday that while the kingdom would welcome U.S. aid in building its civilian nuclear program, “there are others that are bidding.” Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan was responding to a question about recent news reports that Saudi Arabia is …

Saudi’s MBS rolls out the red carpet for China’s Xi, in a not too subtle message to Biden
2 years ago

Saudi’s MBS rolls out the red carpet for China’s Xi, in a not too subtle message to Biden

CNN  

Editor’s Note: A version of this story appears in today’s Meanwhile in the Middle East newsletter, CNN’s three-times-a-week look inside the region’s biggest stories. CNN — When Chinese leader Xi Jinping arrived in Riyadh on Wednesday, Saudi Arabia received him with the pomp and circumstance normally reserved for the kingdom’s most strategic ally, the United States. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed …

Saudi prince’s new title key to dodging lawsuit over killing
2 years, 1 month ago

Saudi prince’s new title key to dodging lawsuit over killing

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — It raised eyebrows six weeks ago when Saudi Arabia’s aged king, Salman, named his son, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, as prime minister. But that move reaped dividends Thursday, when the Biden administration declared that Prince Mohammed’s standing as prime minister shielded him from a U.S. lawsuit over what the U.S. intelligence community says was his role in …

US moves to shield Saudi crown prince in journalist killing
2 years, 1 month ago

US moves to shield Saudi crown prince in journalist killing

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration says Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s high office should shield him from a lawsuit over his role in the killing of a U.S.-based journalist, making a turnaround from Joe Biden’s passionate campaign trail denunciations of the prince over the brutal slaying. The administration spoke out in support of a claim of legal immunity from …

US moves to shield Saudi crown prince in journalist Jamal Khashoggi killing
2 years, 1 month ago

US moves to shield Saudi crown prince in journalist Jamal Khashoggi killing

India TV News  

Jamal Khashoggi killing: The Biden administration declared Thursday that Saudi Arabia’s crown prince should be considered immune from a lawsuit over his role in the killing of a U.S.-based journalist, a turnaround from Joe Biden’s passionate campaign-trail denunciations of Prince Mohammed bin Salman over the brutal slaying. The administration said the senior position of the crown prince, Saudi Arabia’s de …

U.S. moves to shield Saudi crown prince from lawsuit in Khashoggi killing
2 years, 1 month ago

U.S. moves to shield Saudi crown prince from lawsuit in Khashoggi killing

LA Times  

The Biden administration says Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s high office should shield him from a lawsuit over his alleged role in the killing of a U.S.-based journalist, marking a turnaround from President Biden’s passionate campaign trail denunciations of the prince over the brutal slaying. The administration spoke in support of a claim of legal immunity by the prince …

Oil War: Saudi crown prince courts Asia amid row with Washington
2 years, 1 month ago

Oil War: Saudi crown prince courts Asia amid row with Washington

New Indian Express  

Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom's 37-year-old de facto ruler, left Monday for the Group of 20 summit in Bali, Indonesia. The official Saudi Press Agency said the trip would include "a number of Asian countries", though officials have not yet confirmed details of the itinerary. Saudi officials, therefore, began placing special emphasis on cultivating ties in the region well before …

America and Saudi Arabia are locked in a bitter battle over oil. The stakes are massive
2 years, 1 month ago

America and Saudi Arabia are locked in a bitter battle over oil. The stakes are massive

CNN  

New York CNN Business — The relationship between the United States and Saudi Arabia is one of the most important on the planet. After trying and failing to persuade OPEC to ramp up oil production, President Joe Biden reversed his 2020 campaign promise to make Saudi Arabia a “pariah” over its human rights record. US officials thought they reached a …

Biden considers telling American business to stop investing and expanding in Saudi Arabia
2 years, 2 months ago

Biden considers telling American business to stop investing and expanding in Saudi Arabia

Daily Mail  

One of the potential 'consequences' for Saudi Arabia backing an oil production cut is coming into focus, with a report the Biden administration may urge U.S. businesses not to invest in Saudi Arabia. After President Joe Biden vowed there would be 'consequences' for Saudi Arabia's decision to back an OPEC+ cut in oil production, the Biden administration is considering urging …

A bump and a miss: Saudi oil cut slaps down Biden’s outreach
2 years, 2 months ago

A bump and a miss: Saudi oil cut slaps down Biden’s outreach

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Thursday effectively acknowledged the failure of one of his biggest and most humiliating foreign policy gambles: a fist-bump with the de facto leader of Saudi Arabia, the crown prince associated with human rights abuses. That fist bump three months ago was followed by a face slap this week from Prince Mohammed: a big oil …

Saudi Arabia’s triumphant week reclaims the West’s embrace
2 years, 2 months ago

Saudi Arabia’s triumphant week reclaims the West’s embrace

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — Saudi Arabia appears to be leaving behind the stream of negative coverage that the killing of Jamal Khashoggi elicited since 2018. Saudi Arabia’s busy week of triumphs included brokering a prisoner swap between Ukraine and Russia, holding a highbrow summit on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, marking the country’s national day with pomp and pageantry, …

Saudi Arabia's triumphant week reclaims the West's embrace
2 years, 3 months ago

Saudi Arabia's triumphant week reclaims the West's embrace

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Saudi Arabia’s busy week of triumphs included brokering a …

Biden’s Saudi visit aims to balance rights, oil, security
2 years, 5 months ago

Biden’s Saudi visit aims to balance rights, oil, security

Associated Press  

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia — President Joe Biden met Friday with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the man he once pledged to shun for human rights violations, and shared a cordial fist bump as he tried to reset an important diplomatic relationship, bolster Mideast security and increase the global flow of oil. During an earlier stop in Israel, he said …

Joe Biden Gives Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince A Terrifying Gift: Invulnerability
2 years, 5 months ago

Joe Biden Gives Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince A Terrifying Gift: Invulnerability

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING As president, Donald Trump reportedly bragged about the gift he gave Mohammed bin Salman, the powerful crown prince and de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia: “I saved his ass.” But on Friday, President Joe Biden gave the prince an even greater gift than Trump ever could: an aura of invulnerability. Biden traveled to Crown Prince Mohammed’s home …

Opinion: Biden and the Saudi Crown Prince rehab project
2 years, 6 months ago

Opinion: Biden and the Saudi Crown Prince rehab project

CNN  

Editor’s Note: Aaron David Miller is a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and author of “The End of Greatness: Why America Can’t Have Another Great President.” Miller was a Middle East negotiator in Democratic and Republican administrations. Angry over Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s alleged role in the murder of Washington Post columnist and US resident …

‘A new era’: Saudi Arabia’s MBS in Turkey as nations mend ties
2 years, 6 months ago

‘A new era’: Saudi Arabia’s MBS in Turkey as nations mend ties

Al Jazeera  

Crown prince’s visit is a reminder that Saudi-Turkish relations have progressed rapidly in the last two years. Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman travelled to Turkey for the first time in years for talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, aiming to fully normalise ties that were ruptured after the 2018 killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi …

Biden's Trip To Saudi Arabia Far More Likely To Benefit Saudis Than U.S.
2 years, 6 months ago

Biden's Trip To Saudi Arabia Far More Likely To Benefit Saudis Than U.S.

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING President Joe Biden will travel to Saudi Arabia next month, the White House said on Tuesday, making him America’s latest leader to affirm the historic quid pro quo with the kingdom. Wading Back Into Middle East Quandaries In a recent Foreign Affairs article that was widely shared in policy circles, Kaye called Biden’s then-rumored trip a “transparent …

In reversal, Biden to visit Saudi Arabia, interact with Crown Prince
2 years, 6 months ago

In reversal, Biden to visit Saudi Arabia, interact with Crown Prince

The Hindu  

U.S. President Joe Biden will travel to Saudi Arabia as part of a larger trip to West Asia in July and his visit will involve an interaction with Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, who, according to U.S. intelligence agencies, was the mastermind behind the brutal murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018. Mr. Biden’s trip will comprise a …

Jared Kushner met Saudi crown prince on recent regional tour
2 years, 10 months ago

Jared Kushner met Saudi crown prince on recent regional tour

Al Jazeera  

The former senior adviser to former US President Donald Trump also met Aramco’s CEO on that trip. Jared Kushner, son-in-law and former senior adviser to former U.S. President Donald Trump, held talks with Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler and top officials from Saudi Aramco in recent weeks as part of a regional tour that mixed personal travel and business, according …

Saudi crown prince visits Oman on tour of Gulf Arab states
3 years ago

Saudi crown prince visits Oman on tour of Gulf Arab states

Associated Press  

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Saudi Arabia’s crown prince traveled Monday to Oman, the first stop of a tour of Gulf Arab states that will see him meet neighboring rulers and allies as the kingdom closely watches negotiations in Europe to revive Iran’s nuclear deal with world powers. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit coincides with a flurry of other diplomatic …

Joe Biden Promised To Take On Saudi Arabia Over Jamal Khashoggi. The Saudis Won.
3 years, 1 month ago

Joe Biden Promised To Take On Saudi Arabia Over Jamal Khashoggi. The Saudis Won.

Huff Post  

Each day in October 2018 brought a chilling new revelation about the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. “That’s the message he got from the killing of Khashoggi: Not that he wouldn’t kill, but that he would be smarter next time.” - Saudi rights activist Abdullah Alaoudh, of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman To Saudi rights activist Abdullah Alaoudh, the situation …

Saudi crown prince’s investment forum draws back Westerners
3 years, 1 month ago

Saudi crown prince’s investment forum draws back Westerners

Associated Press  

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Saudi Arabia’s annual cornerstone investment forum has drawn over 1,000 participants, with big-name U.S. financiers and business leaders back on the stage three years after many stayed away following the international outcry over the killing of a government critic. The forum is Prince Mohammed’s signature event for trying to bring badly needed investments to the kingdom, …

Biden response to report on Khashoggi killing angers both Saudi Arabia and its critics
3 years, 9 months ago

Biden response to report on Khashoggi killing angers both Saudi Arabia and its critics

LA Times  

Throughout his campaign, President Biden vowed to take a harder line with Saudi Arabia. Its leaders, he insisted, would need to act responsibly or “pay the price” for reckless moves and be made “the pariah that they are.” But after his administration released a declassified U.S. intelligence report last week blaming Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the 2018 killing …

Biden doesn’t penalize crown prince despite promise to punish senior Saudi leaders
3 years, 9 months ago

Biden doesn’t penalize crown prince despite promise to punish senior Saudi leaders

CNN  

CNN — Despite promising to punish senior Saudi leaders while on the campaign trail, President Joe Biden declined to apply sanctions to the one the US intelligence community determined is responsible for the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi: Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. As he departed the White House on Saturday, Biden said there will be an announcement on Monday …

‘Capture or kill’: U.S. report says Saudi crown prince targeted Jamal Khashoggi
3 years, 10 months ago

‘Capture or kill’: U.S. report says Saudi crown prince targeted Jamal Khashoggi

LA Times  

The Biden administration Friday sanctioned Saudi officials, but not the kingdom’s crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, for the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, after releasing an intelligence report concluding he was responsible for the grisly murder. The report “shines a bright light” on Khashoggi’s murder, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken said, but the administration’s response was not intended to …

Critics cite worsening Saudi repression two years after journalist’s gruesome slaying
4 years, 2 months ago

Critics cite worsening Saudi repression two years after journalist’s gruesome slaying

LA Times  

It’s been two years since Jamal Khashoggi, a 59-year-old Saudi Arabian journalist who lived in Virginia, walked into the kingdom’s consulate in the Turkish commercial capital of Istanbul, never to be seen again. Since then, Saudi Arabia’s de facto leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has worked tirelessly to try to rehabilitate an international image tarnished by a killing in …

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