The West has extended an open hand to Saudi Arabia's new ruler - Source: Shutterstock
The West endorses Saudi crown prince
MbS’s first visits to the UK and US as crown prince show acceptance there that he’ll be the next Saudi king. But not all Saudis are happy
Since becoming ruler of Saudi Arabia three years ago, King Salman has approved a wide range of changes to the way the country is governed. The most surprising and radical move was the promotion out of obscurity of his young son, Mohammed bin Salman (MbS). In a matter of months, he became defence minister and took over the reins of the energy, economic and security establishments. The final move in his consolidation of power was the removal of crown prince Mohammed bin Naif. MbS was the new heir to throne. Western allies of Saudi Arabia watched with some concern as the king made these jaw-dropping changes. They weren't always reassured by what they saw. The headlong rush into the war in Yemen
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