After contentious years spent developing his power base, Saudi Crown Prince MbS sent an unexpected royal to the UAE this week, and observers of the Kingdom’s political environment see the action as a message of familial unity from MbS.
Prince Abdulaziz bin Ahmed is the eldest son of Saudi monarchy’s jailed brother, Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz, and holds no formal position.
Despite this, his name topped the list of delegates accompanying Crown Prince and heir apparent Mohammed bin Salman to pay respects to the new ruler of the United Arab Emirates, according to Saudi official media.
Prince Mohammed, often known as MbS, had delayed his trip to the UAE until his father, King Salman, 86, was released from hospital following a week-long stay that refocused Saudi viewers’ and analysts’ attention on succession issues.
According to Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, a political scientist at Rice University’s Baker Institute in the United States, the delegation demonstrated MbS’ careful balancing of people from different branches of the family.
“Perhaps this was done to show unity among the Al Saud family, which has been strained by problems like the detention of Prince Ahmed and Mohammed bin Nayef,” he speculated.
A request for comment from the Saudi government on the delegation’s makeup or any indications it may have given went unanswered.
COUNTERBALANCING
Since replacing Mohammed bin Nayef (MbN), the king’s nephew, as crown prince in a palace coup in 2017, Prince Mohammed has cracked down on perceived competitors and critics.
MbS’s accession is automatic and unlikely to be questioned, having been endorsed by the Allegiance Council the same year. He is also the defence minister, and he has strict control over the state’s security forces.
[embedpost slug=”saudi-arabia-records-highest-quarterly-budget-surplus-in-6-years-at-15bn/”]
However, diplomats have recognised the detentions of MbN and Prince Ahmed in March 2020 as a source of friction between Riyadh and Washington, whose ties have been strained since the death of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018.
Saudi officials have not commented on the detentions, which were described as a preventive effort to secure cooperation within the Al Saud family by various sources at the time.
Prince Ahmed has maintained a low profile since returning to Riyadh in October 2018 after a trip to London during which he appeared in video recordings criticising Saudi authority.
The trip to Abu Dhabi was not the first time MbS elevated relatives of royals who had previously fallen out of favour, including those caught up in a corruption investigation.
Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Nayef, MbN’s nephew, took over as interior minister in 2017. Prince Turki bin Talal was named deputy governor of the Asir region in 2018.
Prince Mohammad’s acts mark a final passing of the baton from King Salman and Prince Ahmed, the surviving sons of King Abdulaziz, who founded modern Saudi Arabia and was succeeded by six offspring as monarchs.
“Mohammed bin Salman has been courting younger princes to counterbalance displeasure from certain elder members of the royal family,” Kristin Diwan, senior resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, said.
