Ambassador Michael Ratney is the current U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia, a position he has held since April 2023, the first career diplomat to serve in the role in approximately 30 years. 

Prior to this, he has held diplomatic positions across the Middle East.Ambassador Ratney and I discuss the history of U.S.-Saudi relations, the sectors the two countries collaborate on, the importance of cultural diplomacy, and the global importance of the alliance.