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The royal family of Saudi Arabia is moving closer to protect the monarchy from a storm of criticism after the assassination of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul.
For the moment, the position of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as heir to the throne seems assured, according to the royal family and relatives of the ruling family.
But as international pressure has grown, octogenian King Salman has taken a more active role in the government and the power of his 33-year-old son could be diluted, they said. It also seems that King Salman and Prince Mohammed are more willing to listen to the voices of the great royal family after years devoted to the concentration of power.
Early Tuesday morning, one of the King's younger brothers, opposed to the promotion of Prince Mohammed, Crown Prince, Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz, returned to Saudi Arabia. Relatives of the royal family and foreign officials then took a stand in this regard. the monarchy.
"We are aware that together we are standing and divided, we fall," said a prominent member of the royal family. "There is a degree of fear and panic here."
The death of Khashoggi – who was killed by a team of Saudi actors on October 2 – put a strain on Riyadh's relations with foreign powers, including its main ally, the United States.
The episode put pressure on Crown Prince Mohammed, who, since he was appointed last year's heir, oversaw a campaign against alleged dissidents, while pursuing plans to recast the country's dependent economy. oil from his country and mitigate some conservative social restrictions.
Two of the prince's closest aides have lost their jobs because they are suspected of being involved in the plot. Moreover, according to the people in the know, many of the prince's advisers should be put away or sent away. Saudi officials vehemently denied that the Crown Prince was aware of the operation.
Prince Mohammed publicly denounced the killing as a "hideous incident" and promised that the perpetrators would be brought to justice.
Within the royal family, there is resentment and frustration at the young prince's missteps. But family members say he is also recognized that they are better with him than without him. "We do not like his style and he shakes the kingdom maybe too aggressively, but its removal will only make matters worse," said a royal.
Many fear reopening the issue of succession in times of crisis, which could destabilize the monarchy and weaken its grip on power. And few would be able to challenge the leadership. Since last year, the king and his son, the Crown Prince, have fled from the scene, have shut up and even arrested some of the most prominent princes of the family.
While Western allies in Saudi Arabia have moved away from the kingdom's leadership following the crisis, others have rallied to it. King Abdullah of Jordan and Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, both recipients of Saudi aid, visited Riyadh's Ritz-Carlton Hotel last week for an investor conference sponsored by Prince Mohammed. Prince al-Waleed Bin Talal, who had been imprisoned last year in the Ritz as part of the anti-corruption campaign led by the Crown Prince, his cousin.
Immediately after the murder, according to the royal family and relatives of the government, the Saudi leaders have considered the possibility that the king abdicates in favor of Prince Mohammed to strengthen his position at the national and international levels. This option has since been discarded, they said.
Prince Ahmed, a younger brother of the King and former Minister of the Interior, was one of the few royalty members to have opposed the elevation of Prince Mohammed to the position Crown Prince last year. After the Crown Prince rallied around the Crown Prince, the government temporarily restricted his displacements last year and then moved to London.
His return to the kingdom, according to the royal family, is the clearest sign of the profound impact of the Khashoggi crisis on the royal family. He landed in Riyadh early Tuesday morning and was greeted by a large delegation including Crown Prince Mohammed and his younger brother, Prince Khalid bin Salman, Saudi ambassador to Washington, according to people close to the case.
Before returning to Saudi Arabia, the British government assured Prince Ahmed that he would not be a danger, according to an adviser to the royal court of the king.
His return is also a sign that the country's leaders may be open to a more consensus-based form of leadership that has characterized the royal family for decades. This model eroded after King Salman came to power in early 2015, and the King and his son gradually concentrated power within a single branch of the family, their own. .
"The family is united behind him. They do not want him. But there is a price to pay: they will withdraw their advisers and replace them with elders, "said a Western official who follows the Persian Gulf. "The thought is this: Prince Mohammed will lead the next 50 years and he will learn from his mistakes. He will become wiser with time. "
Write to Margherita Stancati at [email protected] and Summer Said at [email protected]
