For this blog post, I have chosen to focus on Saudi Arabia and its dealings with a specific man–Mohammed bin Salman, a crown prince of the country–and how his actions and agenda for the Kingdom currently function as a balancing act between societal progress and adherence to social traditions of the State.
Mohammed bin Salman previously served as the country’s Minister of Defense and was appointed as a crown prince on June 21, 2017. He has been described in many contradictory ways from the Saudi Arabian rulers and citizens, with others using terms such as “hardliner” and “a prince of chaos,” (Mabon, 2018), as descriptors regarding his visions and policy ideas for the country. Opinions have generally fallen into one of two camps, with “supporters [framing] him as a hard-working, business-minded leader keen to challenge corruption with a desire to modernize whilst avoiding the trappings of royalty…[or] critics [viewing] him as power-hungry, a ‘young up-start,’ and someone unaware of the dangers of reforming too much too fast,” (Moban, 2018). Despite the differences in opinion, most can agree that Mohammed bin Salman (aka MbS) is a reformer, looking for ways to improve the status and function of the region as a whole (Mabon, 2018).
While this may seem positive overall to those who do not live within the Middle East, it has not always manifested in positive ways for MbS and others in authority in Saudi Arabia. With the entire country identifying as Muslims, religion is culture and the way of life of the Saudi Arabian people (The Pennsylvania State University, n.d.). Making any non-traditional changes in the way the country operates can be perceived as simply as being controversial, all the way to being perceived as a direct condemnation of the Kingdom, and therefore God himself.
When MbS had 11 well-known princes detained for corruption within a year of accepting the post as a crown prince, opinions fell somewhere in the middle, again forcing MbS to walk the tightrope between progress and tradition. Mabon (2018) writes that “For some, the series of arrests was seen as a positive move for the Saudi economy and for the Kingdom as a whole. Yet for others, it was a rampant display of power from a crown prince wishing to secure his position within the al-Saud,” the reigning members of the Kingdom. Whether the latter is simply a pessimistic outlook and criticism of the situation or a truly founded accusation, we may never know.
Whatever Mohammed bin Salman’s agenda for Saudi Arabia, many questions are still left unanswered for now: What are his true intentions for these reforms? In what direction will he influence the country? Will the country allow him to even see his reforms to fruition? Only time will tell. Until then, MbS will continue his path to possible Kingship by balancing his competing responsibilities, and we will watch his tightrope walk with ever-increasing anticipation.
References
Mabon, S. (2018). It’s a family affair: Religion, geopolitics and the rise of mohammed bin salman. Insight Turkey, 20(2), 51-66.
The Pennsylvania State University. (n.d.). Focus on Saudi Arabia. Retrieved October 12, 2019, from https://psu.instructure.com/courses/2008449/modules/items/27026984
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.