Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, Politico: What the Hell Just Happened in Saudi Arabia?
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman just executed a sweeping—and risky—purge of his potential political adversaries. Here’s why.
Even by the torrid pace of change Saudis have become used to under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, developments over the past two days have been as frenetic as they are momentous. The removal of Prince Miteb bin Abdullah as commander of the Saudi Arabian National Guard and one of the few remaining autonomous sources of authority in the kingdom, was followed swiftly by the detention of at least 11 members of the ruling family and dozens of others, including government ministers and ex-ministers and key figures in the business community. The detentions, framed as part of a sweeping crackdown on corruption following a royal decree that mandated a Supreme Committee headed by Mohammed bin Salman to address the issue, represent the latest in a series of bold moves by a youthful crown prince who has centralized authority to a degree unprecedented in recent Saudi history, but risk weakening the checks and balances that for decades have characterized royal family rule in the kingdom.
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Commentaries And Analysis On The Purges In Saudi Arabia
A resignation, detentions and missiles: 24 hours that shook the Middle East -- CNN
Analysis: Saudi Arabia's young crown prince moves boldly to secure his grip on power -- Derek Stoffel, CBC News
Saudi Arabia’s crown prince orders mass arrests, signaling a major shift -- Matthew Rozsa, Salon
Saudi royal purge: Crown prince's high-stakes gambit -- AFP
Saudi purge takes kingdom into unpredictable new era: Kemp -- John Kemp, Reuters
On the Prince’s Orders -- Isaac Chotiner, Slate
Prince Mohammed bin Salman Aims to Rebrand Saudi Arabia -- F. Brinley Bruton, NBC
How Saudi elite became five-star prisoners at the Riyadh Ritz-Carlton -- Martin Chulov, The Guardian
Saudi Arabia's arrest of Prince Alwaleed 'would be like arresting Warren Buffett or Bill Gates' in the US -- Matthew J. Belvedere, CNBC
Saudi Arabia had a crazy weekend that upended the Middle Eastern kingdom -- Peter Jacobs, Business Insider
Broad Crackdown Reins In Saudi Arabia's Elite -- Wall Street Journal
The Fight for Survival Behind Saudi Arabia’s Purge -- Joshua Keating, Slate
Saudi Arabia's purge is 'a stunning political development' and 'a shot across the bow at the old establishment' -- Business Insider
Saudi economy vulnerable as corruption probe hits business old guard -- Katie Paul, Reuters
How Markets Are Reacting To Saudi Arabia's Detentions -- Ellen Wald, Forbes
