Meet the Saudis Remaking the Kingdom’s Image in Washington

For more than two decades, Prince Bandar bin Sultan was Saudi Arabia’s man in Washington, a fighter pilot-turned-ambassador who’s a charismatic entertainer, storyteller, and close friend of the Bush family. After resigning in 2005, Bandar held a series of positions in Riyadh before fading from public life. Now in his late 60s, he’s rarely seen at events. Rumors swirled in Riyadh that he—along with other ex-power brokers—was now on the outside in Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s new Saudi Arabia.

So when the Saudis held a gala in Washington to celebrate Prince Mohammed’s U.S. visit, the surprise of the night was that Bandar not only came but was feted. Before a lineup including Senator Lindsey Graham and former Vice President Dick Cheney, he gave a nostalgic speech about his D.C. days and the relationship between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia—now effectively led by 32-year-old Prince Mohammed. “The crown prince embodies youthful energy, which I lack,” Bandar quipped to laughter.