Mohammed bin Salman has been Crown Prince (heir to the throne) of Saudi Arabia since 2017.  As de facto leader of the country, he has enacted a series of liberalising social reforms that have had positive effects for Saudi women and young people. However, he has also centralised massive political power around himself, leading to many unpleasant moments, including the murder of Royal court figure turned journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018. MBS is undoubtedly a ruthless leader, but one big question remains- can the West afford to stand up to him?

My guest for this conversation was Justin Scheck (@ScheckWSJ on Twitter), reporter for the Wall Street Journal and co-author, along with Bradley Hope, of Blood and Oil, which was longlisted for the Financial Times and McKinsey Business Book of the Year award in 2020.