New Details Revealed about King Salman’s Role in Arrest of Senior Princes

By Staff, Reuters

New details were revealed about the arrests campaign that was launched by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman [MBS] against senior princes of the Al Saud, including Ahmed bin Abdulaziz, King Salman’s brother, and Mohammed bin Nayef, the former crown prince, and his half-brother Nawaf.

Reuters cited sources as saying that MBS “accused them of having contact with foreign powers, including the Americans and others, to carry out a coup.”

A local source told the agency that King Salman agreed to the latest detention, saying: “The king signed the arrest warrant.” He added that the king is in an excellent mental and psychological state.

Reuters news agency said the Saudi crown prince had raised discontent among some of the prominent branches of the ruling family because of his expansion of power. Sources stated that some of his critics doubted his ability to lead the country after the killing of prominent journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018 and after the most massive attack on the kingdom’s oil infrastructure, which occurred last year.

The sources said that members of the royal family are seeking to change the arrangement of the throne’s mandate and consider Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz, King Salman’s younger brother and his only surviving brother, a possible option that could be supported by family members, security services, and some Western powers.

According to Reuters, well-informed Saudis and Western diplomats said that the family is unlikely to oppose the crown prince as long as the 84-year-old king is alive, as they consider that it is improbable that he would turn against his close son, who he entrusted with most of the tasks of government.

As for Ahmed bin Abdulaziz, he has primarily avoided appearing on public occasions since his return to Riyadh in October 2018 after spending two and a half months abroad.

Followers of the Saudi affairs said that there was no indication of his willingness to take over the king. During Ahmed bin Abdulaziz’s trip abroad, he seemed to criticize the Saudi leaders while responding to protesters who gathered in front of his residence in London and were chanting the fall of the Al Saud family.

Sources said earlier that Ahmed bin Abdul Aziz was one of only three people in the Allegiance Commission, which includes senior members of the ruling Al Saud family, who opposed the transfer of the mandate of the covenant to Muhammad bin Salman in 2017.

The sources added that, since then, Muhammad bin Nayef’s movements have been under restrictions and surveillance.