Main content

Can Biden reset US Saudi Arabia relations?

On the campaign trail president Biden talked tough on Saudi Arabia. What can we expect now that he's in office?

It took President Joe Biden more than a month to schedule a phone call with King Salman of Saudi Arabia, a contrast to his predecessor Donald Trump, who chose the kingdom as his first foreign destination after the election. Even though Saudi Arabia is considered a key ally in a volatile region, Mr Biden took a tough stance on the kingdom during his campaign. He promised to end the sale of offensive weapons used in Saudi Arabia's war in Yemen, and accused its crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, of directly ordering the killing of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Mr Biden also pledged to restart nuclear talks with Iran, and further reduce America's dependence on fossil fuels, putting Washington at odds with the political and economic priorities of Riyadh. Now, as his administration looks for a reset of relations, what are the friction points in the decade old alliance between the two countries? Will a push for recalibration encourage Saudi Arabia to seek out new alliances at the expense of the United States? And can US policies succeed in the region by antagonising one of the leading countries in the Muslim world? Join Ritula Shah is joined by a panel of experts.

Available now

53 minutes

Last on

Sat 6 Mar 2021 04:06GMT

Contributors

Mahammed al Yahya - Editor in Chief of the Saudi Arabian news service Al Arabiya English聽聽

Kirsten Fontenrose - Director, Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative at the Atlantic Council

PJ Crowley -聽Former US Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs, and author of: 'Red Line: American Foreign Policy in a Time of Fractured Politics and Failing States'

Abdullah al Arian - Associate professor of history at Georgetown University in Qatar

Picture

American and Saudi national flags聽on a main road in Riyadh. Photo:聽FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images.

Broadcasts

  • Fri 5 Mar 2021 10:06GMT
  • Sat 6 Mar 2021 00:06GMT
  • Sat 6 Mar 2021 04:06GMT

The Real Story Podcast

Subscribe via your favourite podcast app...

Podcast