MBS' growing friendship with Xi alarms Trump? Why US is under pressure to save biggest Arab alliance

The US and Saudi Arabia have had a steady relationship spanning several decades, focused on the economic and defence sectors. But over the years, cracks have begun to show in the once strong ties. From the aftermath of Jamal Khashoggi’s murder and Joe Biden’s “pariah” comment to Donald Trump’s revival of the Abraham Accords and Saudi Arabia’s new defence partnerships with Pakistan and China — this HT In-Depth episode examines what went wrong in this decades-long alliance. As Trump prepares to host Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Washington, one big question looms: Will MBS rejoin America’s orbit or continue to chart his own path toward the East?