India, Nov. 26 -- The recent visit of Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) to Washington marks a definitive turning point in both the regional and global order. Coming at a period of intense geopolitical flux, the visit did more than restore the de facto Saudi leader's diplomatic standing in the West, dented by the 2018 Jamal Khashoggi affair; it fundamentally redefined the US-Saudi alliance.

Hosted with full ceremonial honours by President Donald J Trump, including a South Lawn arrival, a State dinner, and Oval Office bilateral, this was MBS's first White House engagement since 2018. It signals a sharp return to transactional realism in US foreign policy, prioritising shared security imperatives and economic interdependence over...