This event will take place in-person at the Middle East Institute, with an option for virtual participation. Please click here if you would like to join virtually.
The Middle East Institute is pleased to host a high-level panel discussion, “Realigning US-Saudi Relations for the 21st Century,” examining how Washington and Riyadh can adapt their longstanding partnership to a rapidly changing world. As the United States and Saudi Arabia redefine their strategic priorities, new areas of cooperation are emerging — from artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure to critical minerals, biotechnology, and the space economy.
This conversation will take place on the sidelines of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit to Washington. It will explore how both countries can build a forward-looking architecture for collaboration, transition from legacy frameworks to techno-industrial cooperation, and navigate the emerging techno-economic order.
Speaker Biographies
Ambassador Michael Ratney
Former US Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Department of State
Ali H. Tulbah
Senior Managing Director, McLarty Associates
Mohammed Soliman (Moderator)
Senior Fellow, Middle East Institute
Extended Speaker Biographies
Ambassador Michael Ratney is an American diplomat with over 30 years of experience in the US foreign service, most recently serving as US Ambassador to Saudi Arabia from April 2023 to January 2025. His previous assignments include US Special Envoy for Syria, US Consul General in Jerusalem, and Deputy Chief of Mission at the US Embassy in Doha.
Ali H. Tulbah is Senior Managing Director at McLarty Associates, where for more than 20 years he has led the firm’s Middle East and North Africa practice. He previously served in the George W. Bush White House as Associate Director for Cabinet Affairs, coordinating foreign policy and national security agencies and serving as the President’s liaison to Arab- and Muslim-American communities.
Mohammed Soliman (Moderator) is a Senior Fellow at the Middle East Institute. A trained engineer, he works on policy and business matters at the intersection of technology, trade, and geopolitics in the Middle East and emerging markets. He is the author of the forthcoming book West Asia: A New American Grand Strategy in the Middle East.