Saudi Arabia is learning the hard way: they can’t count on Trump for protection | Mohamad Bazzi

The story

Source: The Guardian Business · NewTimes editorial text based on the source feed.

After Houthis escalated their attacks on Saudi Arabia, the US turned down calls from MBS for help For years, Saudi Arabia’s crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, cultivated a close relationship with Donald Trump and his son-in-law and former top adviser, Jared Kushner.

The prince understood the president’s transactional approach to power: he signed deals to buy billions of dollars’ worth of US weapons and invested billions more in American companies.

Days after Trump returned to the White House in January 2025, Prince Mohammed pledged to expand investment and trade with the US by $600bn over four years.

He later promised to increase that investment to nearly $1tn, although it wasn’t entirely clear how Saudi Arabia would manage to plough a sum close to the kingdom’s e