Morocco World News with Maghreb Intelligence
Morocco World News with Maghreb Intelligence
Rabat, Nov 17, 2012
Generational transition at the top of the State continues in Saudi Arabia. After the surprise appointment of Prince Bandar Bin Sultan as Director of Intelligence, Prince Mohammed Ben Nayef now takes control of the Interior Ministry, replacing his uncle Ahmed Ben Abdelaziz, the youngest of the Saudi family. With these two leading figures of the second generation of Saud, King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz, who is significantly impaired by age, appears to have finally listened to the US call for renewal of the House of Saud’s leaders.
The Saudi dynasty has been decimated in recent years by the successive deaths of putative candidates to the throne. The US is greatly concerned by this situation since it’s the biggest ally of the Wahhabi kingdom. Indeed, both Bandar bin Sultan and Mohamed Ben Nayef are very close to the American Establishment.
Another prince of the second generation could also play a major role in the near future. He is the youngest son of King Abdullah. Since 2010, Prince Mutaïb controls the Saudi National Guard, strong of 75 000 well-equipped and well-trained soldiers.
According to a well-informed source close to the power in Riyadh, the succession in the house of Saud obeys subtle dosages between different princes of the royal house and the many clans formed around the wives of kings who reigned before.
Edited by Louise Riondel
