(Jan 1, 2023)

Crown Prince Mohammed has more affinity with the ideology of fellow strongmen Xi or Putin than with the US, said Alterman. 

„They share a belief that a significant liberalization of domestic life would lead to social chaos, the collapse of morality, and political polarization,“ said Alterman.

„The Saudi leadership is much more comfortable with Saudi Arabia pursuing the Chinese path of tightly managed politics, strong state-owned companies, and limited social freedoms than pursuing the US model,“ he said.