The 966 speaks with Rayan Alyusufi, a young Saudi researcher in public diplomacy and international communication to discuss the Kingdom’s public diplomacy, "sharp power," and evolution of Saudi as an emerging diplomatic player. Rayan is a PHD Candidate at Bournemouth University in the United Kingdom.

Recently, Rayan wrote a blog post entitled "The Transformation of Saudi Arabia’s Public Diplomacy" for the University of Southern California’s Center for Public Diplomacy website that discussed Saudi Arabia's "significant influence in the international arena."

"As the wealthiest Middle Eastern state and the birthplace of Islam, it holds a prominent position in the Middle East and the Muslim world. Internationally, Saudi Arabia is a major contributor to organizations such as the Global Fund and the World Health Organization, in addition to being the largest oil exporter. However, its soft power and public diplomacy remain underexplored."

The 996 team explores the reasons for this with Rayan and how Saudi Arabia's public diplomacy has evolved since the launch of Vision 2030.