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Saudi Exile Khalid Aljabri on the Rise of MBS and the Cost of Dissent
August 18, 2026
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Khalid Aljabri and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) graduated from the same class at a university in Riyadh. But in the years since, their paths have diverged dramatically. Following the rise of MBS, Khalid’s father — a former Saudi intelligence chief — went into exile, and two of Khalid’s siblings were imprisoned in Saudi Arabia in 2020, where they remain today.
In this episode of The FRONTLINE Dispatch, listen to an extended interview between Aljabri and veteran FRONTLINE correspondent Martin Smith, originally filmed for Smith’s recent documentary The Crown Prince & the President. Aljabri discusses the rise of MBS, the subsequent crackdown on opposition, the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, and the Trump-era Saudi-U.S. relationship.
The interview has been edited for length and clarity. A video version of this interview is available in FRONTLINE’s YouTube channel.
The Crown Prince & the President is available to stream now on FRONTLINE’s website, FRONTLINE’s YouTube channel, and the PBS App.
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