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Weekly Geopolitical Report by Bill O’Grady Weekly Geopolitical Report By Bill O’Grady May 11, 2015 favorite wife. The new crown prince has been in charge of internal security, along The Next Generation with foreign and domestic politics for the kingdom. On April 29th, Saudi King Salman Prince Mohammed bin Salman was announced a set of changes to his cabinet named deputy crown prince, putting him and to the order of royal succession. We believe these changes are very significant, second in line to the throne. He is the perhaps the most critical since the first royal first son from King Salman’s third marriage; King Salman has older sons succession in 1953. but reports indicate that the 30-year-old In this report, we will detail the changes prince is his favorite. The deputy crown announced by King Salman. To put these prince is the minister of defense and chief of royal court; in Western terms, changes in context, we will provide a short that is similar to the role of chief of staff. history of the important succession plan that was established in 1964. With this He is also in charge of economic affairs. background, we will show how the king’s Prince Salman is in charge of external defense and will act as “gatekeeper” for announcement represents the first change in access to the king. the program and discuss how these changes could affect the future stability of the kingdom. As always, we will conclude with Adel Faqih was appointed to economy potential market ramifications. and planning minister. He had previously worked in the labor ministry. The Changes He is a commoner. At 4:00 am Arabia Standard Time, King Salman made a series of announcements Adel al-Jubeir was appointed minister of regarding the administration of the Kingdom foreign affairs. He is a career diplomat of Saudi Arabia. They are as follows: who has mostly served in Washington. He is also a commoner. Prince Muqrin was demoted from the line of succession and is no longer Prince Saud al-Faisal was relieved from crown prince. He is considered the last his role as foreign minister, a position he competent and able-bodied son of Ibn has held for 40 years. At age 75, he has Saud, the founder of the kingdom. been in ill health for some time and had asked to be removed. Prince Mohammed bin Nayef was named crown prince, putting him in line Nora al-Fayez, the deputy minister for to the throne. He is the son of the late the education of girls and the highest Crown Prince Nayef, who was a high- ranking woman in government, was ranking son of Ibn Saud and one of the relieved of her duties. Sudairi Seven, the sons of Ibn Saud’s Weekly Geopolitical Report – May 11, 2015 Page 2 Khalid al-Falih was named health and implementing oil embargos on Britain minister. He was in charge of the state and France. In 1958, the king, horrified that oil company Saudi Aramco. He has a Syria and Egypt had created the United Arab reputation of being a very capable Republic (UAR), engaged in a rather manager. He is also a commoner. harebrained scheme to assassinate Nasser by shooting down his airplane. Saud opposed Ali al-Naimi remains as the Saudi the growing anti-monarchy sentiment that minister of petroleum and natural Nasser represented. But the plot to kill resources, although we would expect Nasser was ill-conceived, shocked Saud’s him to retire from this position in the brothers and damaged the kingdom’s coming months. Keeping al-Naimi in international reputation. With relations place probably suggests that the between Egypt and Saudi Arabia thoroughly kingdom’s current oil policy will remain severed after this event, the two countries unchanged. squared off in the early 1960s in a proxy war, both supporting factions in a civil In addition to these changes, King Salman conflict in Yemen. has been making structural changes to the government to improve its efficiency. The The combination of profligate spending state oil company, Saudi Aramco, was habits and an unpredictable foreign policy formally separated from the oil ministry. led to dissent within the royal family. There The king abolished 17 councils that were serious concerns about King Saud’s managed the government’s affairs and competency. Perhaps the most divisive streamlined the bureaucracy into two issue was that of unresolved kingly national committees. The crown prince succession. Ibn Saud had 30 sons; so did oversees the political and security areas and King Saud. As King Saud began appointing the deputy crown prince is in charge of the his sons to positions of authority, the sons of economic and social spheres. Thus, these Ibn Saud saw this trend as a way to supplant two will be responsible for most aspects of their opportunity to take power. Saudi Arabia. In response to the king’s incompetent Historical Context behavior, the royal family and the Saudi King Ibn Saud, the founder of modern-day ulama (clergy) pressed Saud to have his Saudi Arabia, didn’t formally create a plan more competent brother, Faisal, appointed to of succession. The king selected his eldest a position of authority. Prince Faisal was in (and, reportedly, favorite) son, Saud, to be and out of various positions of authority crown prince. When Ibn Saud died in 1953, from 1958 until Saud was deposed in 1964. Crown Prince Saud became king. When given executive authority, Faisal would implement austerity measures, which King Saud, unfortunately, proved to be a the king opposed. The king would then weak ruler. He was a spendthrift and treated press Faisal to resign; soon after, fiscal and the kingdom as his personal asset. He foreign conditions would deteriorate and seriously damaged the kingdom’s finances. Prince Faisal would be moved back into His foreign policy was mercurial. For government. Finally, assisted by a fatwa example, Saud sided with Egyptian (Islamic legal opinion) by the ulama and President Gamal Nasser during the Suez support from three key brothers (Princes Crisis in 1956, sending $10 mm to Egypt Khalid, Fahd and Abdullah, all future Weekly Geopolitical Report – May 11, 2015 Page 3 kings), King Saud was deposed and Prince Muqrin could have taken power but there Faisal was named king. were no further sons of Ibn Saud available. And, Muqrin was too young to have any The ouster of King Saud also resolved the involvement or recollection of the issues succession issue. The sons of Ibn Saud surrounding the decision to depose King opposed King Saud’s attempt to create his Saud. King Salman will be the last Saudi own line of succession that went to his sons. king to operate under the current social Instead, the kingly line ran through the sons contract. of Ibn Saud. The decision to keep the throne among the sons of Ibn Saud instead of Although there were other candidates for passing it to the sons of the incumbent king future king among the grandsons, there isn’t has become a social contract within the much quarrel with the selection of 55-year- royal family. By keeping the kingship old Crown Prince Nayef. He is considered a among the brothers instead of shifting the diligent and competent administrator, line to sons, peace and stability has been presiding over the kingdom’s anti-terrorism maintained. There have been numerous efforts over the past decade. He is also well tumultuous events in the region since known and generally liked in the U.S., a 1964—major wars, oil embargos, oil price religious conservative and a bulwark against volatility, regional instability, the rise of secular or religious extremism. Perhaps Islamic jihadism—and through it all, the most importantly, Nayef has no sons, only Saudi royal family has remained in power. daughters. So, it will be impossible for him A key factor in that stability is that the sons to select a son to replace him, which would of Ibn Saud have generally selected good reopen the problems of the King candidates for king and have avoided Saud/Prince Faisal period and call the internal power struggles that occur when current social contract into question. succession becomes uncertain. The selection of Deputy Crown Prince Another element of the Saudi family social Mohammed bin Salman is much more contract was that power was generally controversial. He has older, more distributed among the brothers. Even if a accomplished brothers. Mohammed is very prince was not in line for the throne, he young; most sources place his age at 30, but could become influential by good there doesn’t appear to be any definitive performance in government. Thus, being a date of birth. Some have speculated he competent administrator in a province or could be as young as 27. Unlike many of ministry gave power to a lesser prince. Part the royals of his generation, he did not study of this social contract also meant that abroad; instead, he has a law degree from princes were given preference in positions of King Saud University. Most reports suggest authority. As we note below, this pattern that Mohammed is a hard worker. At the appears to be changing as well. same time, he has been given great responsibility; the young prince is managing An Era Ends…What Now? the war in Yemen and is also in charge of By selecting a crown prince from the third managing the economy during a period of generation, the grandsons of Ibn Saud, King low oil prices. Salman has ended the system that has been in place since King Faisal. Of course, at It is clear that King Salman has given great some point, it was going to end.
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