This week on The Forum Plus, journalist and Pulitzer Prize winning author Karen Elliott House joins host Jim Falk to discuss her new book, The Man Who Would Be King, an intimate portrait of Mohammed bin Salman, the crown prince of Saudi Arabia.
Drawing on her unique access and several interviews with MBS, House explores the forces that shaped his ambitions, including the influence of his mother, his passion for gaming, and the bold economic and political gambles now reshaping the Kingdom. She also examines the risks these choices pose for Saudi Arabia’s future— one of America’s most consequential relationships
Journalist Karen Elliott House has been reporting on the Middle East and Saudi Arabia for more than 50 years. Readers of The Wall Street Journal will remember her distinguished career as a foreign correspondent, editor, and later publisher of the newspaper. The Man Who Would Be King is her second book on Saudi Arabia.
In this new work, House offers an intimate study of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, now 40, who is poised to rule the Kingdom for decades. As crown prince, MBS has already introduced sweeping reforms, including allowing women to travel without a guardian and advancing equality in the workplace. At the same time, his signature economic program, Vision 2030, faces serious headwinds — both from its ambitious scale and the persistent challenge of low oil prices — leading to delays in projects such as NEOM, the futuristic city planned along the Red Sea.
In this conversation, House and host Jim Falk also examine the crown prince’s foreign policy priorities, and how the war in Gaza and the continuing Israeli–Palestinian conflict constrain Saudi Arabia’s options on the world stage.
Host: Jim Falk. Guest: Karen Elliott House