Brett Baier's week in Saudi Arabia yields behind-the-scenes look at country in transition: 'Tectonic changes'

'Special Report' anchor Bret Baier discusses his interview with the Saudi crown prince, which will air on Wednesday, Sept. 20.

Fox News correspondent Brett Baier promised to ask Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman about a series of controversies in the royal’s first interview on American TV since 2019, set to air Wednesday. The "Special Report" anchor's interview with the controversial head of state comes after a week of lead-up interviews with various Saudi government and business leaders.

Earlier this week Baier spoke with Saudi Minister of Economy and Planning Faisal Alabrihim, Minister of Sports Abdulaziz bin Turki, Minister of Energy Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman and Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al Khateeb.

Baier's interviews open up a closer look at today's Saudi Arabia – a country that has courted its fair share of controversy in recent years, particularly the crown prince’s alleged role in the killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.

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"There are many things to ask him," Baier said, adding that the ministers have said they "don’t have time" for the controversy, but that they acknowledged a very real and heavy backlash they have felt. 

President Biden and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman arrive for the Jeddah Security and Development Summit (GCC+3) in Saudi Arabia's Red Sea coastal city of Jeddah on July 16, 2022. (Mandel Ngan/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)

His discussions with the ministers touched on various aspects of Saudi Arabian culture and the government’s vision for the future – in a country undergoing significant transformation as it seeks to modernize. 

Norman Roule, a former