Jonathan Beale

Yeah, it really is radically different. And I think that the latest thing that's really taking off is foreign tourism. I think in terms of the reforms, it's quite hard to think of many recently. They're becoming a bit historic, which suggests that things are slowing down a bit in terms of change in Saudi Arabia. But there's no doubt about it.

Men and women mixing much more freely in cafes, cinemas reopening, religious police taken off the streets. pop concerts, football stars playing in the kingdom. It's become a place in which you can have a lot more fun than you ever could, although alcohol is still banned. You can't have fun without a drink, Jonathan. No, I know that.

Men and women mixing much more freely in cafes, cinemas reopening, religious police taken off the streets. pop concerts, football stars playing in the kingdom. It's become a place in which you can have a lot more fun than you ever could, although alcohol is still banned. You can't have fun without a drink, Jonathan. No, I know that.

It's just interesting that there are still limits in terms of where he thinks he can take his kingdom and on what timescale.

It's just interesting that there are still limits in terms of where he thinks he can take his kingdom and on what timescale.

I think hosting peace talks with Ukraine, with Russia, with the United States is about projecting MBS's power as a truly global leader. Ironically, there is some rivalry about who it is is going to resolve this particular crisis. So the Turks have been trying very hard to resolve it too. MBS has helped broker the release of Russian and Ukrainian prisoners.

I think hosting peace talks with Ukraine, with Russia, with the United States is about projecting MBS's power as a truly global leader. Ironically, there is some rivalry about who it is is going to resolve this particular crisis. So the Turks have been trying very hard to resolve it too. MBS has helped broker the release of Russian and Ukrainian prisoners.

He helped engineer the swap of Russian and American prisoners. He's also sent humanitarian aid to Ukraine. And I think he instinctively admires Vladimir Putin in the same way that Donald Trump does. I think there was this little mutual appreciation society amongst nationalist strongmen, Trump, Putin.

He helped engineer the swap of Russian and American prisoners. He's also sent humanitarian aid to Ukraine. And I think he instinctively admires Vladimir Putin in the same way that Donald Trump does. I think there was this little mutual appreciation society amongst nationalist strongmen, Trump, Putin.

But then Zelensky, after he met MBS, talked of his wise perspective, which is a very different MBS to the one, the impulsive and rather dangerous young man we saw when he first became current prince.

But then Zelensky, after he met MBS, talked of his wise perspective, which is a very different MBS to the one, the impulsive and rather dangerous young man we saw when he first became current prince.

I don't think it's about MBS leveraging things from others. I think it's much more about MBS projecting his nation's power. And what we're witnessing is a coming of age of a rather slumbering kingdom of that we always knew was important, but we didn't know much about it. It was the custodian of the two holy mosques. It had lots of oil. It had a strict Wahhabist Islamic faith.

I don't think it's about MBS leveraging things from others. I think it's much more about MBS projecting his nation's power. And what we're witnessing is a coming of age of a rather slumbering kingdom of that we always knew was important, but we didn't know much about it. It was the custodian of the two holy mosques. It had lots of oil. It had a strict Wahhabist Islamic faith.

And that's about as much as anybody really knew. And I think MBS sees himself, rather in his grandfather's shoes, as a man who's putting his kingdom on the map. And doing so... for generations to come. So he's only 39 now. He could be in charge of Saudi Arabia for the next 50 years if he's not assassinated. And he has enormous power to wield, enormous wealth.

And that's about as much as anybody really knew. And I think MBS sees himself, rather in his grandfather's shoes, as a man who's putting his kingdom on the map. And doing so... for generations to come. So he's only 39 now. He could be in charge of Saudi Arabia for the next 50 years if he's not assassinated. And he has enormous power to wield, enormous wealth.

It's so easy to get the oil out and to market. Why didn't this happen before, I think, is how a lot of people might look at this when you look at how powerful and rich Saudi Arabia is. And it's taken a young man with vision and ambition and ruthlessness to do what his predecessors hadn't managed.

It's so easy to get the oil out and to market. Why didn't this happen before, I think, is how a lot of people might look at this when you look at how powerful and rich Saudi Arabia is. And it's taken a young man with vision and ambition and ruthlessness to do what his predecessors hadn't managed.

I think he's a thug, but he's not the only thug on the world stage. I admire what he's trying to do to his kingdom, that he's trying to drag it into the 21st century. I admire the fact that he's stood up to religious extremism. I admire the fact that radical Islam is not being exported from Saudi Arabia to places like Pakistan in the way that it was.

I think he's a thug, but he's not the only thug on the world stage. I admire what he's trying to do to his kingdom, that he's trying to drag it into the 21st century. I admire the fact that he's stood up to religious extremism. I admire the fact that radical Islam is not being exported from Saudi Arabia to places like Pakistan in the way that it was.

I admire the fact that men and women can now mix freely and feel that they're living in a far less restrictive world. But I think there's a price to pay when you have an absolute ruler like MBS, which is a really ruthless grip on power. Some people would say, well, that's what you've got to do in order to stay alive. You've got to be one step ahead of your enemies.