Conflicted Revisited: Spying for Saudi

As Saudi Arabia celebrates Founding Day, and as the murky underbelly of GCC geopolitics is on everyone's minds, we're re-releasing this classic Conflicted episode from early 2022.

Thomas & Aimen discuss:

• The deep history of Arabia

• The first foundations of Saudi Arabia

• The transition from British to American dominance in the Middle East

• Aimen’s family history within the British imperial system

• The 1920 Iraqi revolt

• St John Philby (Abdullah Philby)

• The consolidation of Saudi Arabia under Ibn Saud

• Oil politics and the American-Saudi partnership

• Cold War spy-craft and intelligence networks in Saudi Arabia

• Espionage culture in the region

• The murder of Jamal Khashoggi

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Conflicted is a Message Heard production.

Executive Producers: Jake Warren & Max Warren.

Produced and edited by Rowan Bishop.

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