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While reading some article I found sentence 1 . Why can't we use will instead of would like in sentence 2?

  1. Fast forward to 2020, and the signing of the Abraham Accords between Israel, the UAE and Bahrain, which brought Israel_Arab ties to a new beginning. Next, the big question remained whether Sauidis would join this arrangement
  1. Fast forward to 2020, and the signing of the Abraham Accords between Israel, the UAE and Bahrain, which brought Israel_Arab ties to a new beginning. Next, the big question remained whether Sauidis will join this arrangement

What is the difference in meaning between these two sentences??

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    Would is used because the question was being asked in the past (2020). If it was being asked now, you could say "Will the Saudis join the arrangement?"
    – Kate Bunting
    May 16, 2021 at 9:34

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this one is talking about if we already know the outcome of the event. later in the book they usually would tell you what happens next, in this context. “Fast forward to 2020, and the signing of the Abraham Accords between Israel, the UAE and Bahrain, which brought Israel_Arab ties to a new beginning. Next, the big question remained whether Sauidis would join this arrangement”

this one has to be changed a bit to make more sense for the present. you can say (if you are still wondering and do not know what is going to happen) “Fast forward to 2020, and the signing of the Abraham Accords between Israel, the UAE and Bahrain, which brought Israel_Arab ties to a new beginning. Next, the big question REMAINS whether Sauidis will join this arrangement.” “remained” is the past tense so it is used to indicate what stood in the past. “remains” indicates that the question is still unanswered and up for debate

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