Saudi Arabia's new King Salman promises continuity

The new King of Saudi Arabia, Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. Photograph: Reuters

Saudi Arabia’s new king moved swiftly on Friday to name the country’s interior minister as deputy crown prince, making him the second-in-line to the throne, as he promised to continue the policies of his predecessors in a nationally televised speech.
King Salman bin Abdulaziz’s actions came as the oil-rich, Sunni-ruled kingdom began mourning King Abdullah, who died early on Friday at the age of 90. He had spent nearly two decades in power, though officially became king in 2005. Abdullah was buried following Friday’s afternoon prayer, which was attended by Muslim leaders, Saudi princes, powerful clerics and Arab businessmen.
Salman’s royal decree puts his nephew Prince Muhammad bin Nayef in line to ascend to the throne after his designated successor, Crown Prince Muqrin. Bin Nayef is the son of King Salman’s brother, Nayef. Like his father who was a formidable power in Saudi Arabia until his death in 2012, Bin Nayef is head of the powerful interior ministry that oversees the police.
“We will continue adhering to the correct policies which Saudi Arabia has followed since its establishment,” Salman said in the speech aired on the state-run Saudi television station.

Mourners gather around King Abdullah’s grave at the Al-Od cemetery in Riyadh. Photograph: Mohammed Mashhur/AFP/Getty Images

Salman on Friday also appointed his son, Prince Muhammad, as defence minister. The prince, in his 30s, was head of his father’s royal court when Salman was crown prince and is among his most favoured sons.
The appointments point to significant change ahead – the start of the handover of power to a new generation of royals.
Salman, 79, and Muqrin, 69, are both sons of Abdulaziz Ibn Saud, who founded the conservative kingdom in the 1920s. Bin Nayef, the new deputy crown prince, is the first of the grandsons and great-nephews of Ibn Saud, who are jockeying for power in the future.
Bin Nayef, 55, has a reputation as a moderniser and is well-versed in the ways of the west. Governments in Washington and London admire him in his role as interior minister, having previously been in charge of Saudi counter-terrorist efforts; he survived a close-quarters assassination attempt by an al-Qaida suicide bomber.

Prince Muhammad bin Nayef. Photograph: Amr Abdallah Dalsh/Reuters

Prince Muhammad’s appointment as defence minister also suggests that the direction of travel is clear: Muhammad was born in 1980, making him, at 34, almost an infant in a system hitherto dominated by men in their 70s and 80s.
During the past year, Salman had gradually taken on more of the king’s duties as Abdullah became more incapacitated. He has represented the country at important meetings abroad and also served as deputy prime minister and defence minister.
Salman is widely believed to be unwell, with speculation that he has dementia or Parkinson’s disease, though Saudis deny that.
Stability and continuity are likely to be his guiding principles, at a time of alarm over the rise of the extremist Islamic State (Isis) in Iraq and Syria, turmoil in neighbouring Yemen, the kingdom’s rivalry with Iran and controversy over its resisting calls for cuts in Opec production as the price of oil has plummeted.
He made an oblique reference in his televised speech to the chaos gripping the greater Middle East as Isis now holds a third of both Iraq and Syria. “The Arab and the Islamic nations are in dire need of solidarity and cohesion,” the king said.

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Leaders from around the world expressed their condolences. US president Barack Obama described him as a candid leader who had the courage of his convictions, including “his steadfast and passionate belief in the importance of the US-Saudi relationship as a force for stability and security in the Middle East and beyond”.

Abdullah, who died on Thursday night. Photograph: Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images

King Abdullah’s funeral is held in Riyadh

The president of the neighbouring United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, said in a statement that Abdullah “generously gave a lot to his people and his nation”.
In Egypt, the government showed its gratitude for Abdullah’s staunch support for the current Egyptian regime by declaring seven days of mourning, four days longer than the mourning periods in the aftermath of other recent deaths.
President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi’s office said in a statement: “History will never forget his numerous achievements in the defence of Arabism and Islam; acts, which he performed with honour, honesty and sincerity, guided by truth, justice, chivalry and courage.
“The Egyptian people will never forget the historic positions of late King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz toward Egypt and its people.”
Under Abdullah, Saudi Arabia sent billions of dollars in aid to Egypt after Sisi toppled the Muslim Brotherhood’s Mohamed Morsi in 2013, in an attempt to ensure the long-term erosion of the Brotherhood’s regional influence. The Saudi royal family view the Brotherhood as a threat to their own authority in Riyadh.
Aware that Abdullah’s death could raise questions about Saudi Arabia’s continued commitment to Egypt, Sisi’s statement asserted “full confidence” that Abdullah’s successor King Salman “will continue the late king’s legacy to serve the causes of the Arab and Islamic nations”.

Friday, January 23, 2015