The term “Saudification” once referred to a domestic Saudi policy aimed at replacing foreign workers with Saudi nationals. Today, however, it has acquired a far more complex and troubling meaning in the United States. Increasingly, analysts and observers use “The Saudification of America” to describe the expansion of Saudi political, economic, and media influence inside the U.S., to the point that American institutions are beginning to mirror the authoritarian patterns long associated with Riyadh. This shift cannot be understood without returning to the pivotal moment that revealed the depth of this influence: the murder of Jamal Khashoggi.
For many Americans, the killing of Khashoggi – a Washington Post columnist who warned repeatedly of the dangers of authoritarianism – was a shocking breach of moral and political norms. Yet, instead of responding with consequences, Washington’s political establishment moved steadily toward normalization with the very leadership implicated in the crime. The Trump administration went to great lengths to protect Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), even after the CIA concluded that he had ordered the assassination. Jared Kushner served as the crown prince’s private adviser, coaching him on how to “weather the storm,” and was later rewarded with a $2 billion investment from the Saudi sovereign wealth fund.
Today, nearly seven years after the murder, MBS is preparing for another official visit to Washington—this time welcomed openly, with barely a whisper from key media institutions that once championed Khashoggi’s voice. This silence is not accidental. It reflects a deeper, structural shift taking place inside American media, where Saudi money and political pressure have created new red lines and suppressed old freedoms.
The Washington Post, which once offered Khashoggi a platform to critique authoritarianism, has undergone a transformation that mirrors the very environment he fled. The global opinion section he wrote for was dismantled. The Jamal Khashoggi Fellowship, created to support journalists resisting repression, quietly faded away. And under new editorial directives emphasizing “free markets” and strict limitations on politically sensitive commentary, the Post has purged many of the voices that once wrote boldly about censorship, repression, and political violence—both at home and abroad.
Khashoggi often described editorial meetings in Saudi Arabia, where editors received explicit instructions on what the monarchy would and would not allow to be published. It is deeply symbolic, and profoundly alarming, that similar restrictions are now being imposed inside a major American newspaper. What Khashoggi warned of in Saudi Arabia—unchecked power, fear-driven journalism, and loyalty to the ruling elite—is making its way into the U.S. media landscape.
Beyond the newsroom, “Saudification” is unfolding across American cultural and political spaces. Saudi Arabia has poured enormous sums into entertainment, sports, tourism, and lobbying campaigns designed to reshape public perception. From purchasing European football clubs to funding global golf tournaments, from paying influencers to promote staged trips, to launching billion-dollar PR partnerships, the kingdom is exporting a polished image crafted to conceal domestic repression, poverty, and discontent. Khashoggi warned that these glamorous façades concealed a much harsher reality—one defined by silenced voices, imprisoned critics, and an expanding security state.
What is new—and dangerous—is that this strategy is no longer confined to Saudi borders. It has been imported into America, where political elites and media organizations increasingly view criticism of Saudi Arabia as inconvenient, unprofitable, or even unacceptable. Trump’s open admiration for Saudi wealth and his transactional approach to foreign policy created fertile ground for this influence. His lawsuits against media outlets, efforts to prosecute political rivals, and aggressive pressure on journalists further blurred the line between American democracy and authoritarian governance.
Pro-Saudi voices now argue that moral outrage over a murdered journalist is “unhelpful,” that billions of dollars at stake are more important than principles, and that the U.S.–Saudi partnership—especially now that it supports normalization with Israel—must be protected at all costs. This narrative serves only the wealthy, the powerful, and the intermediaries who profit from these alliances. Ordinary Americans gain nothing from this alignment. What they lose, however, is significant: transparency, accountability, and the press freedom that once defined American democracy.
Ultimately, Jamal Khashoggi’s murder was not merely a crime against one man. It was a warning shot—an early sign of the shrinking space for dissent and freedom, not just in the Middle East, but in the United States as well. The Saudification of America is not a metaphor. It is a political reality taking shape in real time.
Together for Justice views these developments with deep concern. The organization believes the growing influence of Saudi Arabia inside the U.S. political and media ecosystem represents a dangerous erosion of democratic values. The silence surrounding Khashoggi’s murder, the dismantling of platforms that once amplified dissenting voices, and the normalization of partnerships with an authoritarian regime collectively signal a troubling shift in America’s moral direction.
For Together for Justice, the Saudification of America is not merely about Saudi money or geopolitical alliances—it is about the slow, deliberate normalization of repression. It is about allowing a government that kills, silences, and intimidates its own citizens to shape the contours of American public discourse. It is about replacing accountability with profit, truth with PR, and journalism with curated narratives that protect powerful interests.
The organization warns that ignoring these patterns endangers not only press freedom in the United States, but the global struggle for justice that Khashoggi dedicated his life to. If America embraces the tools of censorship and political intimidation that Khashoggi fought against, then the consequences will echo far beyond Washington.
His death was a lesson. The refusal to learn from it is the real threat.