'One orb, slightly used': MBS book reveals fate of Trump's mysterious Saudi sphere

Saudis gave gadget that briefly captivated the internet to the US – but embassy officials fearful of scandal soon hid it away

Martin Pengelly in New York
@MartinPengelly
Wed 4 Mar 2020 07.00 GMT
Last modified on Wed 4 Mar 2020 07.05 GMT

The mysterious glowing orb which Donald Trump, King Salman and Abdel Fatah al-Sisi clutched in Riyadh in May 2017 is now in US possession, according to a new book – but is hidden away for fear of causing a scandal.

The bizarre factoid is contained in MBS, a new book by the New York Times correspondent Ben Hubbard about the Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, which will be published next week. The Guardian obtained a copy.

Hubbard recounts the crown prince’s rise to power and his ruthless suppression of rivals; his direction of Saudi foreign policy including the war in Yemen; and his links to the October 2018 murder in Istanbul of Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist and regime critic who lived in the US and worked for the Washington Post.

The author also details apparent Saudi attempts to hack his phone, an experience which the Guardian recently revealed he allegedly shares with Jeff Bezos of Amazon, the richest man in the world.

But in his examination of the development of Prince Mohammed’s close and controversial relationship with the Trump administration, Hubbard also reveals the fate of the memorable orb, which Trump encountered on his first overseas trip as president.

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