Saudi Arabia is spending millions of dollars each month paying its foreign agents to interface with members of the media and lawmakers to secure influence in Washington, enjoying considerable success in doing so, a Washington Examiner review of public records has found.
From private sit-downs with members of Congress and their senior staff to op-eds placed directly in some of the United States’s most-read news outlets, Saudi Arabia’s sprawling influence network has proven effective in advancing the Gulf nation’s interests in D.C. and across the country. The Washington Examiner identified 15 active foreign lobbying agreements linked to the Saudi government worth upwards of $2 million per month that tap top-tier talent, such as retired lawmakers and former senior government staff, to achieve Riyadh’s goals in Washington.
