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Prince Mohammed bin Salman is on his way to the top of the Group of 20 in Argentina on Friday, where he faces world leaders strongly condemning the killing of Jamal Khashoggi last month in the Kingdom's consulate in Istanbul .
The de facto leader dismissed international pressure, attempting to use overseas visits – followed by a flash national tour – to consolidate his tarnished reputation and strengthen his relations with his allies.
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"The question is who among the world leaders will agree to support him publicly," said HA Hellyer, senior scientist at the Atlantic Council and the Royal United Services Institute in London.
"I suspect that his appearances will be carefully organized to avoid any embarrbadment."
The prince has the dark prospect of being treated as an "outcast" by some leaders at the two-day G-20 summit, said Bessma Momani, Professor "Group photos may be inevitable but Liberal Democratic leaders of countries like Germany and Canada will not want to be seen shaking his hand, "said Momani.
The former Spanish king Juan Carlos was confronted harsh criticism on his handshake with the prince in Abu Dhabi, his first stop on a regional tour also including close allies, Bahrain and Egypt, as well as Tunisia.
Image of meeting filled with laughter at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix A conservative Spanish daily called Sunday a "photo of shame" last Sunday.
But the 33-year-old prince, known as the MBS, used the regional tour as a victory round after US President Donald Trump – – who praised Saudi Arabia Arabia a "really spectacular ally" – threw his weight behind him.
Trump's categorical support was obtained despite the Central Intelligence Agency's badessment that the prince – who controls all the major levers of power in the Saudi government – was behind "We must not stand alone." surprise that allies like Trump, the Chinese Xi (Jinping) and the Russian (Vladimir) Putin do not hesitate to let know that they are absolutely able to continue doing business with MBS, "said Momani . .
Ice Reception
But some officials around the prince are preparing for an icy reception at the G20 summit.
In anticipation of Prince's visit, Human Rights Watch urged Argentine prosecutors to consider bringing criminal charges against Prince Mohammed for alleged war crimes as part of a war in Yemen led by a Saudi army and its possible complicity in Khashoggi's badbadination.
It was not clear if Argentine prosecutors would follow up on this request. .
Trump is also facing growing pressure from US lawmakers, some of whom are demanding an investigation into his financial dealings to determine whether the president had an interest in supporting the kingdom.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Pentagon Leader Jim Mattis were to brief US Senators Wednesday on Saudi Arabia in a bipartisan climate of concern over the kingdom.
The prince's supporters fear that world leaders will take advantage of his weakened international position to gain concessions from the kingdom, as he struggles with an oil crisis.
The prince is expected to meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has maintained international pressure on the kingdom by claiming that the orders for Khashoggi's murder came from the "highest levels" of the Saudi government.
"In Si Erdogan meets the MBS on the sidelines of the G-20, this will indicate that an agreement has been reached, which could include reconciliation between the Gulf countries and the concrete steps to end the war in Yemen, "said Sigurd Neubauer, a Washington-based Middle East badyst.
"A Possible Agreement Between Saudi Arabia and Turkey Will Probably Not Protect MBS From US Congressional Investigations into Khashoggi's Assbadination."
"He Is Here to Stay"
In a taste of acrimony expected at the G-20, the prince faced hundreds of protesters Tuesday during a brief layover in Tunisia, with many screams "Go away badbadin ! "and some red stained bucking chains – a reference to Khashoggi's macabre murder.
The hostility contrasts sharply with the Prince's month-long tour of the United States earlier this year, where he received some kind of rock star reception and he met with titans from the business world, such as Disney's chef, Bob Iger, and Tim Cook, from Apple.
During media campaigns, the Crown Prince was presented as a liberalizer seeking to retake his conservative petro-state, while accumulating unparalleled power. previous leaders.
The global consequences of the murder of Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist criticizing the prince, seem to have torpedoed this effort.
But until now, he has not threatened to dislodge the prince under his tight grip. military and security agencies and ruthless repression of its political rivals.
The Prince's supporters say that the fact that he came out of the kingdom during a crisis indicates that he is firmly resolved
"The Prince tries to show his national audience and international that he leaves the palace and is confident that he will come back to control it, "said Momani.
"He wants to show that he is here to stay decades as the next ruler of Saudi Arabia."
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