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Are Saudi Reforms in Doubt?

The murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi has left the kingdom reeling and some businesses have boycotted a major investment conference in Riyadh.

The murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi has left the kingdom reeling and some businesses have boycotted a major investment conference in Riyadh. Do these events threaten Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's much-vaunted economic reforms?

We hear from Seth Bannon of Fifty Years, a Silicon Valley seed fund. He's one business leader who's not attending the showcase Future Investment Initiative conference.

What about efforts to diversify away from Saudi Arabia's focus on oil? It has one of the world's largest sovereign wealth funds, valued at around $60 billion. But energy expert Ellen R. Wald says most large investments to date have been abroad, and not on proposed eco-friendly mega-cities in the desert.

Plus, as Germany says it's halting arms sales to the kingdom, what's the overall state of western arms sales to the country? We get analysis from Dr Anna Stavrianakis, a senior lecturer in International Relations at the University of Sussex, England.

(Picture: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman meeting Jamal Khashoggi's son. Credit: AFP)

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18 minutes

Last on

Thu 25 Oct 2018 07:32GMT

Broadcast

  • Thu 25 Oct 2018 07:32GMT

Podcast