Joe Biden is currently on his first trip to the Middle East as President, which will include a controversial meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. On the campaign trail, Biden pledged to make Saudi Arabia a “pariah”, but with gas prices punishing American consumers, and Russia and China court Riyadh, Biden’s tone and policy toward the Kingdom has rapidly evolved. Council on Foreign Relations’ Martin Indyk and Democracy for the Arab World Now’s Sarah Leah Whitson join Deep Dish to discuss the human rights, energy, and geopolitical dimensions of the US–Saudi relationship. 

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Reading List:

• The Case for a New U.S.-Saudi Strategic Compact, Steven A. Cook and Martin S. Indyk, Council on Foreign Relations, June 2022 

• America’s Middle East ‘Withdrawal’ Breathes Its Last Breath, Sarah Leah Whitson, The American Prospect, June 24, 2022