Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 22 June 2017

Saudi Arabia’s next king is a young, ambitious risk taker

By AYA BATRAWY Arabia’s “addiction” to world” and to spread its Shi-
Associated Press oil, and pushed through ite doctrine
DUBAI, United Arab Emir- politically-sensitive auster- “We know we are a main
ates (AP) — He is known ity measures that curbed target of Iran,” Prince Mo-
as MBS and his rise through spending on subsidies and hammed said, warning
Saudi Arabia’s corridors of the public sector — where that he “will work so that it
power has been shockingly the majority of Saudis are becomes a battle for them
swift. employed. in Iran and not in Saudi Ara-
At age 31, Mohammed bin His Vision 2030 plan and bia.”
Salman already controlled its accompanying Na- Madawi Al-Rasheed, an
the kingdom’s defense pol- tional Transformation Plan outspoken Saudi critic of
icy and was overseeing a grabbed international the royal family and a pro-
massive internal economic headlines when he an- fessor at the London School
overhaul with the backing nounced the country of Economics, said MBS’
of his father, King Salman. would publicly list a per- stature as crown prince will
His sudden appointment centage of Saudi Aramco. mean “continuing repres-
Wednesday to the posi- Social reforms, he’s argued, sion of the domestic popu-
tion of crown prince plac- are also needed in order to
es him as first in line to the bring the deeply conser- lation and being erratic re-
throne, cementing his po- vative nation into the 21st gionally.”
sition as the driving force Century. MBS has prom- She said it also further aligns
behind Saudi Arabia’s ma- ised amusement parks Riyadh with Washington.
jor moves and seemingly In this April 5, 2017 file photo, released by the Saudi Press Agen- and more fun for his gen- King Salman dispatched
cy, SPA, Saudi King Salman, right, and Defense Minister and Dep-
charting Saudi policy for uty Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman wave as they leave eration of millennials. For MBS to Washington in
the coming decades. He the hall after talks with the British prime minister, in Riyadh, Saudi the first time in decades, March to meet President
is regarded as a bold and Arabia. Saudis can attend musical Donald Trump, a visit that
ambitious risk taker. Associated Press concerts in the kingdom helped lay the groundwork
Even before the royal de- or have the speed that’s at the King Saud University and the powers of coun- for Trump’s historic first over-
cree was issued by the needed to carry out a in Riyadh. try’s feared religious po- seas visit to Saudi Arabia
king, MBS’s plans have re- transformation.” Within hours of Salman’s as- last month.
sulted in a dramatic shake “The country needs new cension to the throne, the lice have been curbed. Al-Rasheed said MBS has
up of a once predictable blood and a new genera- monarch named his favor- More than half of the pop- effectively ingratiated him-
and slow-moving country tion because the changes ite son, MBS, defense minis- ulation of Saudi Arabia is self with the new U.S. ad-
that for decades lagged needed are big,” Batarfi ter. Two months later, they under 25-years-old and 70 ministration by presenting
behind its Gulf Arab neigh- said. led Saudi forces into war percent are under 35, rep- himself as “a younger ver-
bors, like Dubai with its A snapshot of the crown in Yemen, becoming the resenting a large potential sion of Trump” by blurring
glistening skyscrapers and prince’s many titles reveals face of a conflict framed consumer market, but also the lines between states-
tourist attractions. just how vast his portfolio is. in Saudi media as a battle a massive challenge for man and businessman.
In the two-and-a-half He is also defense minister; against Shiite-led Iran’s am- the government to keep Iran’s state TV described
years since his father was deputy prime minister; chair bitions for regional domi- up with job creation and the appointment of MBS as
crowned king, MBS has of the Supreme Economic nance. The war whipped affordable housing. The Vi- a “soft coup in Saudi Ara-
managed to sweep aside Council; head of a council up nationalist fervor around sion 2030 plan outlines spe- bia”. The bitter rivals also
any competition from overseeing the state-run oil the new king and his son. cific goals, such as reduc- back opposite sides of the
princes who are older and giant Saudi Aramco; head He would also be in charge ing the unemployment rate
more experienced than of the Public Investment of inking multi-billion dollar from around 12 percent to war in Syria and opposing
him, most notably his cous- Fund; and a top member arms deals with Washing- 7 percent. groups in Lebanon, Iraq
in Prince Mohammed bin of the Council of Political ton. And unlike previous Saudi and Bahrain.
Nayef who had been in line and Security Affairs. Domestically, MBS expand- royals in top positions of Though few of Saud Ara-
to inherit the throne. A little more than two years ed his reach by turning to power, MBS has granted bia’s allies have publicly
Khaled Batarfi, a Saudi ago, MBS was a little-known outside consulting firms to several interviews to West- critiqued MBS, a German
columnist and professor figure in Saudi Arabia. launch a plan to overhaul ern media outlets. intelligence analysis re-
at King Faisal University, is He served as the head the kingdom’s economy. In his most recent television leased by the BND spy
among those who support of his father’s royal court His goal is to drastically re- interview, aired in May on agency has cited concern
MBS’ ascension. when Salman was still duce the country’s depen- Saudi TV, MBS delivered a over the kingdom’s future,
“The current situation re- crown prince. Unlike his dence on oil exports after strong warning to Iran and noting that the cautious
quires a lot of effort and many siblings, he never a plunge in prices nearly ruled out any dialogue with diplomatic stance of older
quick decision-making and studied abroad or pursued crippled Saudi Arabia’s officials there. Framing the leaders within the royal
courage,” he said. “The a master’s degree, choos- ability to spend on national tensions with Iran in sectar- family has been replaced
past generation may not ing instead to remain close projects and foreign efforts. ian terms, he said it is Iran’s by “a new impulsive policy
be as quick rhythmically to his father and study law MBS vowed to end Saudi goal “to control the Islamic of intervention.”