Saudi Arabia's heir to the throne has recently been making bold political moves - detaining some of his relations and a number of the kingdom's wealthiest businessmen amid an ongoing war with Yemen.
Mohammed bin Salman's policies have been the focus of a conference in London attended by analysts, academics and senior political figures. The conference aims to highlight what's at stake, namely the stability of the Gulf region and that of other countries like Lebanon and Iran.
The arrests in Saudi Arabia have spurred days of speculation and analysis. There was the element of surprise, the detentions took place on Saturday night and without warning.
The element of power – most of those arrested are men of influence. And an element of uncertainty, is this about purging corruption or consolidating power?
The man behind it all: Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has been a figure of controversy for months now. He is regarded as a progressive leader, touting social and economic reforms. But critics say MBS, as he's known, is also power-hungry. Over the course of two years, he went from being third in line to the throne, to first.
But what risks is the Crown Prince running? And can he meet the many challenges he faces both at home and in the region?
Presenter: Jane Dutton; Guests: Joseph Kechichian, Senior Fellow at the King Faisal Center for Research & Islamic Studies; Andreas Krieg, Assistant Professor at the Defense Studies Department at King's College London; Nicholas Noe, Editor in Chief of MideastWire dot com
It was one of the largest sweeps in the Saudi Arabia’s history: 11 princes, and dozens of ministers and former ministers were arrested in what was termed an anti-corruption sweep. But was this really about corruption? In this debate, we’ll look at why the young Crown Prince Salman may be behind this wave of arrests, in what is said to tighten his grip on power, and whether he is in trouble due to his failed war on Yemen. Why have the arrests come at this time: did he feel threatened or was it to eliminate opposition?
Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman ordered the arrest of four government ministers and 11 royal princes hours after he was named the head of a new anti-corruption committee. Billionaire prince Alwaleed bin Talal, who has stakes in major U.S. companies like Apple and Twitter, was among those arrested. Gary Sick, a senior research scholar at Columbia University, joins Hari Sreenivasan.
