© REUTERS/ Bandar Algaloud/Courtesy of Saudi Royal Court
The round-up of Saudi Princes which took place on 5th November 2017 is simply the latest in a succession of purges initiated by Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler, Deputy Crown Prince Muhammed bin Salman, as he tries to consolidate his position by getting his hands on all of Saudi Arabia's levers of power.
As is often the case in purges of this kind, a large number of people have been rounded up on 'corruption charges' (the standard pretext used to conceal power struggles of this sort) in order to conceal the identity of the true target of the purge.
That target was Prince Mutaib bin Abdullah, the commander of Saudi Arabia's National Guard, the third in the triad of defence and security agencies which underpin the rule of Saudi Arabia's Royal Family.Of these three the largest and most powerful is the
Saudi military, which Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman controls directly as Saudi Arabia's Defence Minister.
The second is the
Interior Ministry, which controls Saudi Arabia's police and law enforcement agencies.
Its former head, Prince Muhammad bin Nayef, was appointed Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince by Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman's own father, King Salman, in April 2015, shortly after King Salman succeeded to the throne following the death of King Abdullah, the previous Saudi King.
Comment: More on the recent events in Saudi Arabia:
The Saudi royals have always been more pragmatic than ideological. They need the Wahhabi clergy, but they themselves are not necessarily fanatic ideologues. They're Western-educated and have been happy to make the best of both relationships: with the "democratic" West and their fanatic religious leaders. It's a constant balancing act, but in his moves to solidify power and secure a stable economic future (whether or not it works is another question), MBS is also pushing to create a more moderate image for his country. That in itself is probably a good thing - bringing Saudi Arabia more into the 21st century - but it will remain to be seen whether MBS only makes some things worse.
Saudi Arabia's relationship with the U.S. has never been one to encourage "moderation". But with closer relations with Russia (maybe Trump too is having an effect?), that raises the question: will Russia be able to encourage
actual moderation, say, in Yemen? Maybe that has something to do with MBS's latest moves, aside from just his push for more control?
Comment: More on the recent events in Saudi Arabia:
- Second Saudi Prince confirmed killed during firefight as authorities attempted to arrest him - Regime orders arrest of 2 "Syrian opposition" leaders
- Saudi attorney general: Phase 1 of anti-corruption push complete, "a great deal of evidence" has been gathered
- Royal coup: What happened in Saudi Arabia last night - and how Washington corruption enabled it
- Saudi Arabian prince & several officials killed in helicopter crash near Yemen border
- A Saudi 'Night of the Long Knives'? Prince Salman's crackdown signals significant shifts in the kingdom
- Saudi Arabia begins its corruption crackdown, 11 Saudi princes and 4 ministers arrested
The Saudi royals have always been more pragmatic than ideological. They need the Wahhabi clergy, but they themselves are not necessarily fanatic ideologues. They're Western-educated and have been happy to make the best of both relationships: with the "democratic" West and their fanatic religious leaders. It's a constant balancing act, but in his moves to solidify power and secure a stable economic future (whether or not it works is another question), MBS is also pushing to create a more moderate image for his country. That in itself is probably a good thing - bringing Saudi Arabia more into the 21st century - but it will remain to be seen whether MBS only makes some things worse.Saudi Arabia's relationship with the U.S. has never been one to encourage "moderation". But with closer relations with Russia (maybe Trump too is having an effect?), that raises the question: will Russia be able to encourage actual moderation, say, in Yemen? Maybe that has something to do with MBS's latest moves, aside from just his push for more control?