Game of thrones

Saudi Arabia’s new King Salman on Wednesday carried out a second purge in the closely knit kingdom. This time the change has been the crown prince. Mohammad ibn Nayef, 55, who is both the interior minister and head of the National Security Council, has been made the next in line after King Salman. However, it is his second choice, the appointment of his son, Defence Minister Mohammad bin Salman, 30, that signals that King Salman’s choices will dictate the future of Saudi Arabia for decades to come. The appointments give a strong signal on both foreign policy and to those looking to stir internal dissent within the oil-rich kingdom. Only this week, Riyadh announced that it had apprehended 93 suspected Islamic State militants. Nayef, who replaced King Abdullah’s choice Prince Muqrin, is said to enjoy closer ties with the United States than any other Saudi royal. Nayef is already the strong man in the kingdom and Mohammad bin Salman is expected to be groomed under his supervision. The direct Saudi intervention in the Yemen war has already signalled that, under King Salman, the kingdom is willing to take a direct role in countering what it perceives as threats, and, for now, the US remains a firm supporter. King Salman has also decided to change the head of Aramco, the state oil firm central to the kingdom’s fortunes, with Khalid al-Falih named as both the new Aramco chairman and the new health minister.
The king has said that the decisions were approved by a majority of the family’s Allegiance Council, but it is impossible that the changes were made without stirring some unease. The first purge undertaken by King Salman claimed late King Abdullah’s inner circle, including the bureau chief, the governors of Mecca and Turki, the intelligence chief and the chairman of the National Security Council. More changes are expected soon. Deputy Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman is said to have good diplomatic skills and is trained in counterterrorism, having attended a number of courses at the FBI academy. With King Salman already reported to be suffering from poor health, the appointments have ensured a clear line of control that he hopes will be consolidated under Nayef. The new regime is expected to negotiate the threat of Isis to the region as well as rapprochement between the US and Iran. King Salman’s shakeup means that the question of ascendency has been sorted for the medium-term future. Any radical change that will make the kingdom more democratic seems to be a very distant possibility as it tries to keep itself away from the aftermath of the Arab Spring.