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@ Ibn Maghreb
2025-05-14 07:56:56
The Saudi-US deal is much more beneficial for the Americans, if one reads through the details. Congress alone has the power to lift sanctions and Padishah's rule by Executive Order at some point will meet with resistance.
There is little about an understanding around Saudi nuclear ambitions and also again little to suggest an ironclad security arrangement with GAE. The danger here is that lifetime Indians, the Saudis are paying way above market value for Western tech
Most of the deals are around hyperfinancial commercialism and AI - the outcome of these deals will need to be tested against a longer timeframe of a decade or two so no immediate transformation there.
The exuberance of the Saudi-US engagement seems disproportionate likely for cogwar purposes for both MBS and Padishah who need good news. Unless Padishah's EO decisions translate into the machinery of the Deep State, the jury is still out on what has actually been agreed upon
MBS is in danger of greater financial recklessness - his reign so far has shown someone not in control of the numbers, too obsessed with flashy megaprojects that end up collpasing - Saudi's budgetary problems will not be helped by pumping money into a dying Empire
Where MBS thrives is the showman diplomacy of walking the China-GAE tightrope which few others can skilfully manage - his talents should be focused more on soft power projection. Someone needs to take away the purse strings from him though before he bankrupts the petro-casino
Already the Saudi Sovereign Wealth Fund (PIF) is in dire straits recently announcing a series of difficult decisions around hiring, restructuring and "optimization" which is euphemistic corporate-speak for things are burning up in flames