Mohammed bin Salman

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Critics Slam Saudi Arabia's 'Grim Disregard' for Life

Kingdom had 356 executions in 2025

(Newser) - Saudi Arabia's tally of executions has climbed to a new high for the second year in a row, driven largely by an intensified anti-drug campaign. The kingdom put 356 people to death in 2025, according to official figures compiled by AFP, surpassing the 338 executions recorded in 2024. Of...

Rep. Vindman: Trump-MBS Phone Call a 'Shocking' One

Widow Hanan Elatr Khashoggi demands transcript of 2019 call be released

(Newser) - The widow of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi on Friday called for the release of the transcript of a 2019 phone call that President Trump had with Mohammed bin Salman, joining Democratic lawmakers who are raising questions about whether Trump personally benefitted from his embrace of the Saudi crown prince....

In Hosting MBS, Trump 'Showed Nothing but Debility'

It suggests 'no real consequences' for dictators who mistreat Americans, says WaPo board

(Newser) - Hours after the Washington Post editorial board was called out for failing to mention Jamal Khashoggi ahead of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's trip to the White House, the board let loose , blasting President Trump for rolling out the red carpet for a dictator the CIA concluded ordered...

At Trump's Saudi Dinner, Big Names, Big Money, and a New Alliance

President deems Saudi Arabia a 'major non-NATO ally,' as crown prince ups US investment to $1T

(Newser) - It was a "lavish welcome" in DC on Tuesday for Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, a warm greeting that extended into the evening with a black-tie state dinner at the White House—"a stunning attempt at rehabilitating the image of the prince," who US intel agencies...

Trump on Killing of Khashoggi: 'Things Happen'

President says Saudi crown prince was not involved in the journalist's murder

(Newser) - When President Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman began taking questions at the White House on Tuesday, one of them went straight to a sensitive topic: the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018. A US intelligence report implicated the prince in the killing, but Trump dismissed the...

Trump Gives Lavish Welcome to Saudi Prince

It's a political turnaround for MBS, implicated by the US in the murder of Jamal Khashoggi

(Newser) - President Trump welcomed Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia to the White House on Tuesday, the prince's first visit to the US since the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018. US intelligence agencies blamed the murder on the prince known as MBS, and the allegations put...

Trump Says US Will Sell F-35 Jets to Saudi Arabia

Deal raises concerns about Israel's military edge, possible transfer of tech info to China

(Newser) - President Trump announced Monday that the US will sell F-35 stealth fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, signaling a renewed embrace of the kingdom ahead of a White House meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Trump offered no details about the pending arms deal, but the move is widely seen...

Trump Organization Nears Naming Rights Deal With Saudis

President plans to honor crown prince this week at White House

(Newser) - The Trump Organization is in advanced talks to put its name on a major Saudi government real estate project, according to the CEO of the Saudi company leading the development. The Trump company is said to be negotiating a deal that would bring a branded property to Diriyah, a $63...

Saudi Journalist Executed After Tweets Criticizing the Kingdom

Turki al-Jasser spent 7 years in prison before he was reportedly put to death Saturday

(Newser) - A Saudi journalist who once warned that writers could be killed by their own governments has been executed for treason—raising new questions about the kingdom's crackdown on dissent in the digital age. Turki al-Jasser, believed to be in his 40s, was put to death in Riyadh on...

Trump Did What No President Has Done Since 2000

It was the first time American and Syrian leaders had sat down in a quarter-century

(Newser) - President Trump held a closed-door meeting in Riyadh on Wednesday with Syria's interim president Ahmad al-Sharaa, marking the first encounter between US and Syrian leaders in a quarter-century. The meeting came as part of Trump's Middle East trip and coincided with an announcement that the US would...

Trump Brought a Bunch of Honchos to Saudi Arabia

The list of American executives in attendance is long

(Newser) - President Trump landed in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday to a very warm welcome , and he brought with him an entire entourage. As the New York Times reports, a who's who of business executives attended a lunch in Riyadh, as well as a significant part of Trump's Cabinet. A...

Windfall for Trump Visiting Saudi Arabia First May Be $600B

That's how much the crown prince said the kingdom plans to invest in the US over 4 years

(Newser) - Saudi Arabia's crown prince said Thursday the kingdom wants to invest $600 billion in the United States over the next four years, comments that came after President Trump earlier put a price tag on returning to the kingdom as his first foreign trip. Trump's 2017 trip to Saudi...

Biden Upgrades Prince to Full Handshake

Last meeting began with a fist bump

(Newser) - The Saudi crown prince once vilified by President Biden has been elevated from a fist bump to a hearty handshake. Biden warmly greeted Saudi Arabia's de facto leader, Mohammed bin Salman, after they appeared together along with several other leaders at the Group of 20 summit Saturday in New...

Crown Prince MBS Vowed 'Consequences' for US: Report

In classified doc seen by 'WaPo,' de facto Saudi leader spouted off after Biden's own threat last year

(Newser) - Last fall, President Biden warned of "consequences" headed Saudi Arabia's way after the kingdom cut oil production, which in effect proved helpful to Russia as it continued its invasion into Ukraine. Biden later seemed to walk back his admonition in favor of trying to repair strained ties between...

9/11 Families: 2023 Masters Will Be a 'Slap in the Face'

Tournament to welcome golfers from Saudi-backed LIV league

(Newser) - Families of victims and survivors of the 9/11 terrorist attacks are planning to protest at the Masters this spring in response to Augusta National Golf Club's decision to allow golfers from the Saudi-backed LIV league to participate. Augusta National Chairman Fred Ridley announced Tuesday that qualified golfers from both...

Judge's Move Likely Marks End of Efforts to Hold MBS Accountable

Judge dismisses lawsuit against Saudi crown prince in journalist's murder

(Newser) - The move Jamal Khashoggi's fiancee feared has come to pass: A US district court judge on Tuesday dismissed her lawsuit against Saudi Arabia's crown prince in the murder of the Washington Post journalist. Judge John Bates said he felt "uneasiness" in the decision, but had essentially no...

Crown Prince's New Job Could Give Him Immunity in Khashoggi Killing

Mohammed bin Salman appointed prime minister by royal decree

(Newser) - Saudi Arabia's powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was appointed prime minister on Tuesday by royal decree, the AP reports. The crown prince, who is heir to the throne held by King Salman, already wields wide powers and is seen as the kingdom's day-to-day leader. The royal decree...

Biden Wraps Up Mideast Trip With a Promise

'We will not walk away and leave a vacuum,' he told Arab leaders summit in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

(Newser) - President Biden, speaking at a summit of Arab leaders, said Saturday that the United States "will not walk away" from the Middle East as he tries to ensure stability in a volatile part of the world and boost the global flow of oil to reverse rising gas prices. His...

In Saudi Arabia, a Very Public Fist Bump
Biden Offers Prince a Fist Bump
Jul 15, 2022 2:19 PM CDT

Biden Offers Prince a Fist Bump

President meets with controversial Prince MBS, though they avoid a handshake

(Newser) - President Biden settled for a fist bump when meeting Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Saudi Arabia on Friday, avoiding the possibility of being photographed in a friendly handshake with the leader of a state he had promised to ostracize. Biden had his fist formed as he walked toward the...

What You Should Know About Biden's Trip to the Middle East
Biden's Last Stop in the
Middle East Is His Big One
the rundown
Jul 13, 2022 10:20 AM CDT

Biden's Last Stop in the Middle East Is His Big One

That would be Saudi Arabia

(Newser) - President Biden landed in Israel on Wednesday for his first trip to the Middle East since taking office. It's a whirlwind four-day trip: Biden is spending two days in Jerusalem for talks with Israeli leaders before meeting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday in the West Bank. He then...

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