The West’s relationship with its Saudi ally is one of the world’s most troubling alliances. Saudi Arabia’s conservative culture rejects many Western ideals, and many observers see the Kingdom as a hotbed of support for extremism. Michael Stephens of RUSI and Thomas Juneau of the University of Ottawa examine the foundations of the U.S.-Saudi alliance and argue that the partnership remains vital even though many of the assumptions that undergird the relationship are in flux.