Saudi media commentary on Sudan’s new normalization deal with Israel suggests Riyadh is trying to prepare its citizens for the formalizing of their country’s own ties with Israel. Saudi state-owned media outlets, including Al Arabiya, Arab News and Al Riyadh have either syndicated articles published by foreign outlets, such as the Associated Press, or have published their own largely factual, uncritical articles on the news. As of Oct. 26, the Saudi monarchy also has yet to take diplomatic or even symbolic steps to signal its disapproval of Sudan’s move to normalize its Israeli ties.

• Saudi media coverage of the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain’s recent normalization deals with Israel, which Riyadh tacitly approved as well, was also largely uncritical. 
• Saudi officials reportedly participated in normalization talks between Israel and Sudan, according to The New York Times. As a long-standing aid contributor to Sudan, the kingdom holds substantial influence over the country. 

The Saudi government likely banned media from criticizing other Arab Gulf states’ push to normalize their ties with Israel, as Riyadh explores its own path toward a more public and formal relationship with the country. Media outlets once avoided any coverage that could imply advocating for open ties with Israel for fear of punishment. But now, Riyadh’s red lines will increasingly imply that Saudis who criticize Israel’s normalization deliberations with Saudi Arabia or any other country will face potential retribution. Under this threat, Saudi media outlets’ coverage of Israel and Judaism will probably also begin shifting toward a more neutral or possibly positive tone.

• A television series that aired during the religious Ramadan season in spring 2020 touched on the Saudi-Jewish relationship, sparking public discussions previously considered taboo in the kingdom.  
• Several Saudi influencers and media personalities have visited Israel over the past year. News coverage is also being increasingly written or broadcast in Hebrew. 

While Riyadh’s messaging and publicity campaigns may reduce negative sentiment related to the broader issues associated with the Israeli-Arab conflict, pockets of resistance to normalization among conservative Saudis could still create space for extremists to organize new support. Some radicalized elements in the country, including those aligned with Hezbollah al-Hejaz and the Islamic State, have been able to exploit Saudis’ discontent with social change to carry out attacks. But these attacks have so far only resulted in localized damage and have not posed a serious threat to the kingdom’s core political support in cities such as Riyadh, Mecca, Medina, Jeddah and Dammam.  

• Saudi Arabia has already used its control over the media and cultural narratives to reshape Saudis’ perception of their relationship with religion — nudging Saudis away from their traditional tribal-religious identity and toward a new, Islamic-infused Saudi nationalism. This has seen notable cultural shifts within Saudi Arabia within just the past five years. But while largely successful, this push to instill a new brand of Saudi nationalism has not won over all of the kingdom’s citizens.