MBS is not expected to sign on onto any Israel normalization deal during this visit. "Instead, he is expected to push the president on helping to resolve the conflict in Sudan, according to a person familiar with the plan." nytimes.com/2025/11/18/us/…

"At one point, a primer for newcomers was held on 'What is Hamas?' according to three officials." nytimes.com/2025/11/18/wor…

Trump Family’s Business Ties to Saudi Arabia Raise Ethics Worries nytimes.com/2025/11/18/wor…

Trump Berates One Reporter and Tells Another,‘Quiet Piggy’ nytimes.com/2025/11/18/bus…

"The stark juxtaposition between the two men said as much about the political turmoil in the U.S. over the past decade as it did about MBS, who has undergone his own transformation from a brash upstart to a shrewd and powerful leader in the same period." nytimes.com/2025/11/20/wor…

"Saudi Arabia appears to have widened access to alcohol, allowing non-Muslims holding a special residency status to purchase alcoholic drinks from a Riyadh store previously reserved for foreign diplomats." semafor.com/article/11/22/…

"Non-Muslim foreign residents earning at least 50,000 riyals a month ($13,300) are now able to purchase drinks at the country's sole alcohol shop in Riyadh, according to six people who spoke to AFP." barrons.com/news/saudi-res…

"The Saudi Cabinet will convene a special session today, Dec. 2, to announce the state budget for 2026." argaam.com/en/article/art…

“The current level of deficit is a policy choice,” said Saudi finance minister Al-Jadaan. “We need to invest in our economy to enable the private sector, & as long as the return on these investments is higher than the cost of the debts, we would continue." bloomberg.com/news/articles/…

“Mommy, we are invisible,” Blessings said. “They can’t see us.” The last part of our series on East African domestic workers in Saudi Arabia follows one woman, who became pregnant and was determined to bring her daughter home, against all odds. w/@lattif nytimes.com/2025/12/11/wor…

FT: "Although Abu Dhabi’s sovereign wealth funds buy into private companies around the world, their home market is characterised by what bankers call 'left pocket-right pocket' transactions." ft.com/content/9b7acb…

"The number of hedge funds registered in Dubai’s financial hub has doubled since the start of last year to more than 100, underscoring the city’s rapid rise as an emerging global hub for the industry." bloomberg.com/news/articles/…

"Ms. Wiles confirmed that she wants Mr. Trump to talk more about the economy and less about Saudi Arabia." nytimes.com/2025/12/16/us/…

ICYMI, our story on Saudi Arabia's loosening alcohol rules: "The system’s vagueness, & the official silence around it...are in keeping with the rapid but sometimes nebulous ways in which Saudi Arabia has transformed under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman." nytimes.com/2025/12/06/wor…