Saudi Arabia MBS Middle East News: Power in Oil Kingdom - Bloomberg:
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s swoop against potential royal challengers shows his concerns about his grip on power outweigh the risk of unnerving investors already wary of his brazen tactics.
The kingdom’s de facto ruler, who’s aggressively changed social norms despite possible backlash, has big plans to transform his country into a modern powerhouse. The arrests on treason allegations that could carry the death penalty -- unprecedented against such senior relatives -- suggest he’s not going to let anything get in his way, especially not his own family.
Authorities on Friday rounded up the brother and a nephew of Prince Mohammed’s father, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, on the ground they were plotting a coup, according to a person familiar with the matter. The crackdown comes as the kingdom is facing an economic downturn that could menace future progress on the prince’s ambitious plans.
“So much of what happens under MBS’s leadership is based on the element of surprise, of shifting balance, and claiming control,” said Karen Young, a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s swoop against potential royal challengers shows his concerns about his grip on power outweigh the risk of unnerving investors already wary of his brazen tactics.
The kingdom’s de facto ruler, who’s aggressively changed social norms despite possible backlash, has big plans to transform his country into a modern powerhouse. The arrests on treason allegations that could carry the death penalty -- unprecedented against such senior relatives -- suggest he’s not going to let anything get in his way, especially not his own family.
Authorities on Friday rounded up the brother and a nephew of Prince Mohammed’s father, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, on the ground they were plotting a coup, according to a person familiar with the matter. The crackdown comes as the kingdom is facing an economic downturn that could menace future progress on the prince’s ambitious plans.
“So much of what happens under MBS’s leadership is based on the element of surprise, of shifting balance, and claiming control,” said Karen Young, a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington.
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