You're listening to a podcast from the BBC World Service. This is Hard Talk with me, Stephen Sacker.

Thanks for downloading this edition of the program. I do hope you enjoy it.

Welcome to Hard Talk on the BBC World Service, with me, Stephen Saka. My guest today was born

into privilege in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, but she's now one of the ruling

family's loudest and most active political opponents. Not surprisingly, given the strict

limits placed on freedom of expression inside Saudi Arabia, Madhawi al-Rashid conducts her campaign

for sweeping political reform from a home in exile.

The specific target of her political activism is Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler,

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. His efforts to portray himself as a modernizer and reformer

were undermined by the brutal murder of the Saudi journalist and regime critic Jamal Khashoggi.

To Madhawi al-Rashid, that was simply one proof amongst many that MBS's rule is all about repression rather than reform. She's founded an opposition party, the National Assembly,

to bring together reform-minded Saudi opponents of MBS right around the world. But is there any

prospect of political activism or diplomatic pressure from key Saudi allies led by the United States, really challenging the

authority of Saudi Arabia's young ruler. Well, Madhawi al-Rashid joins me now. Welcome to Hard Talk.

Hi, hello. You have become one of the highest profile Saudi critics of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. I just wonder how

you felt a couple of weeks ago when we saw the Crown Prince so warmly welcomed at the World

Economic Forum, the online Davos event where he was selling Saudi Arabia as an investment opportunity for the entire world.

What did you make of that?

Well, it's a familiar image.

Saudi Arabia has actually got away with murder on several occasions, the last of which was

on the 2nd of October, 2018, when Jamal Khashoggi was murdered

in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. But I think the pressure is mounting. Many activists who

...