Saudi ties to US colleges come under mounting scrutiny

Some US colleges and universities are rethinking deals they have with the Saudi Arabian government in the wake of the killing of a journalist.

An Associated Press analysis of federal data finds at least USD 354 million from the Saudi government flowed to 37 schools from 2011 through 2017.

Roughly a fifth of the money came from contracts or gifts from the kingdom's nationally owned companies and research institutes.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology officials say they're reviewing their ties to Saudi Arabia following the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

The school has received USD 4 million from Saudi Arabia's national oil company and was promised USD 25 million in a deal this year.

Others say they won't review their relationships with Saudi Arabia, including the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of New Haven in Connecticut.