America has been in Arabia for well over six decades, yet the American access to the inner workings of the Saudi world has been limited at best.  There is an opaqueness to the Saudi realm, and that ambivalence has run through its tangled relationship with its American protector.  Have King Salman and his advisors served notice that the old terms of that Saudi-American relationship is coming to an end?

This issue of The Caravan will delve into Saudi Arabia’s security challenges as it is faced with old and new threats.  The Kingdom is adapting its diplomacy and war fighting capabilities in this changing strategic landscape.  Russell Berman leads off with his essay on the compelling factors driving this new Saudi strategy.

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