MUHAMMED BIN SALMON (MBS-32YRS. OLD) AND NEW POLITICAL REALITY_fbjh5

Mohammed bin Salmon

                                                                                                                Mutaib bin Abjullah

There is a new king in town. His name is Mohammed bin Salmon.  He is a young man is strong-willed.   This is what he is done recently –

• He arrested Prince Mutaib bin Abdullah, the head of the Saudi National Guard
• Several other Princes were arrested
• This is a power consolidation move on MBS’s part

THREE GROUPS TARGETED

Using anticorruption is the charge, MBS movement lightning speed on three categories

• First – 11 princes were arrested; including Mutaib bin Abdullah and his half-brother Turki.
  • Prince Mansour bin Muqrin, son of a former Crown Prince, died in a mysterious helicopter accident on the day following the arrests.
• Second – Technocrats and non-royal officials have been detained.
  • Khaled al-Tuwairjri, head of King Abdullah’s court
  • Abdel Aziz al-Assaf, finance minister

• Third  – Business men and corporate leaders
  • Salel Kamel, owner of ART networks
  • Dallah al- Barakah group
  • Bakr Binladin, chairman of Saudi Binladin Group

THE SIGNALS

First – By focusing on senior and prominent princes, MBS is signaling to the house of Saud and its estimated 15,000 princes that the old consensus base order and previous power-sharing arrangements among the various branches of the ruling family is now over.  There is one king in town.

Second – the arrest of technocrats and businessmen signals that no one is above approach. MBS will no longer tolerate technocrats and businessmen who think they are above the law.

Third – last month the authorities arrested 30 clerics, intellectuals and activists in what the HR S says is a crackdown on dissent.

Fourth – the arrest send a powerful signal to the key constituency of MBS – the Saudi youth.  Nearly half the Saudi population is under 25 and it is expects it to exceed 42% by 2030.

This – MBS is trying to Liberalize the kingdom socially and to”returned to moderate Islam”.

• It has limited the powers of the religious police
• It has announced that women will soon be able to drive.
• It has made more entertainment options available.

MBS CHALLENGES

MBS is on the following –

1. He is taking on the Saud Clan.
2. He is taking on the religious establishment.
3. He is taking on the business leaders.
4. Externally, he is active in the Yemen challenges from the Iranian backed Shiite.
5. Externally, he is active in a Qatar dispute and indicating that Hezbollah is going to be challenged.

In conclusion should MBS succeed in obtaining his domestic and regional environment, he will reign as a strong team over the new political order for decades to come. Should he not deliver, it is highly likely that the displaced old guard may come to try to displace him.