How can Saudi Arabia and Egypt help confront toxic ideologies

Saudi Arabia and Egypt share substantial influence as exporters of religion, culture, and politics across the Arabic-speaking world. The Trump administration, having rewarmed ties with both countries, now has an opportunity to engage them in a campaign of “competitive soft power“ to challenge toxic ideologies and promote domestic reform. To discuss what such a strategy might look like, The Washington Institute is pleased to host a Policy Forum with Joseph Braude and Samuel Tadros. Joseph Braude is an advisor to Al-Mesbar Studies and Research Center and a senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute. For his latest book, Broadcasting Change: Arabic Media as a Catalyst for Liberalism, he studied liberalizing trends in Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Through his work as a participant in Arabic print and broadcast media, he has tested techniques to strengthen them. Samuel Tadros is a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute’s Center for Religious Freedom and a distinguished visiting fe