RIYADH: Saudi Arabia's sweeping arrests of 11 princes, including billionaire investor prince Alwaleed bin Talal, has put the country on a path to reformation. In a massive crackdown, the dozens of current and former ministers were arrested on claims of corruption. Parallely, head of the Saudi National Guard, once a leading contender to the throne, the navy chief, and the economy minister were replaced in a series of high-profile sackings.
The crackdown was led immediately after a new anti-corruption commission, headed by powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, was established by royal decree, over the weekend. State media reported that the princes, four current and several former ministers were arrested as the commission launched a probe into old cases such as floods that devastated the Red Sea city of Jeddah in 2009. The commission's goal is reportedly to “preserve public money, punish corrupt people and those who exploit their positions.” An aviation source said security forces had grounded private jets in Jeddah, possibly in a bid to prevent any high-profile leaders from leaving.
The purge came less than two weeks after Prince Mohammed welcomed thousands of global business giants to Riyadh for an investment summit, showcasing his economic reform drive for a post-oil era. Analysts said many of those detained were resistant to the Prince's aggressive foreign policy that includes boycott of Gulf neighbour Qatar.
The crackdown is more than a minor family dispute. “The unusual arrest of prominent figures close to the Saudi royal family this weekend is a big deal. It is a part of unprecedented and hasty measures that could have tremendous repercussions on Saudi Arabia and the region. Keeping in mid that Bin Salman is still crown prince, the succession after his father's death or retirement will not be smooth,” said Abdeslam Maghraoui, professor of political science at Duke University.
When King Salman took over power in 2015, after the death of former king Abdullah, he was 79, and already too old for a world leader. His coronation kicked off amongst apprehensions over his alleged battle with a form of dementia. It was Bin Salman, who was 29 at the time, who rose to power after being appointed defense minister back then. He left no time in exercising his new influence, and it won't be far-fetched to say he was the driving force behind Saudi's decision to intervene in neighbouring Yemen's civil war in 2015. The recent crackdown can be seen as an extension of his ongoing power grab.
“The royal family has always been secretive about managing its internal affairs,” Maghraoui explains. “The arrests have now appended that quiet, implicit arrangement, opening the way for public conflict and power jockeying among royals and between tribes, families, and religious conservatives.”
