ZCZC
BFF-29
SAUDI-POLITICS-CHRONO
Saudi Arabia: a year of change with a new crown prince
RIYADH, June 21, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Mohammed bin Salman became crown prince
of Saudi Arabia a year ago, shaking up the ultra-conservative oil power. Here
is a rundown of developments:
– Crown prince at 31 –
In a royal decree issued on June 21, 2017, King Salman ousts his nephew as
crown prince and installs his 31-year-old son, Mohammed, as his heir.
Widely known as MBS, Prince Mohammed retains his role as defence minister.
The move caps a meteoric rise for the young prince.
It comes at the start of a major fallout with Qatar: Riyadh and three Arab
allies severe ties with Doha the same month, accusing it of supporting
“terrorists” and being too close to Saudi Arabia’s archrival Iran. Qatar
denies the charges.
– Royal purge –
Over several days in September 2017 authorities round up at least 20
people, including influential clerics and intellectuals, in what is condemned
as a crackdown on dissent by the crown prince.
Around 380 royals, ministers and business tycoons are then arrested in
November in a dramatic purge led by Prince Mohammed that the government says
is a move against corruption.
Many are held for weeks in the Riyadh Ritz-Carlton Hotel. Most are released
after agreeing significant financial settlements.
– Reforms –
The monarchy ends the world’s only ban on female drivers by announcing in
September 2017 that they will be able to take the wheel from June 2018.
It is the most striking of a series of reforms since the installation of
Prince Mohammed, who is also the architect of a wide-ranging plan for social
and economic change, called Vision 2030, that is approved before his
appointment.