Saudi Arabia balances ‘tolerance’ with support for ultra-conservatives in conflict zones
By James M. Dorsey Hi and welcome. Thank you for joining me today. If you appreciate hard-hitting, fact-based analysis, please take advantage of my New Year’s special offer of a 25 percent discount on annual subscriptions. If you are a free subscriber, you can upgrade to a paid subscriber at the special rate. Monthly subscribers can upgrade to an annual subscription at the discounted rate. To upgrade, please click here Paid subscribers can access the full archive, exclusive posts, and polling. They can leave comments, join debates, and know they are supporting independent writing, reporting, and analysis that lets the chips fall where they fall. Thank you for your support and loyalty and best wishes for the new year. Once viewed as a breeder of religious extremism, Saudi Arabia earned brownie points as the international community sighed a sigh of relief when Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom’s de facto ruler, substantially reduced global fundin...