(Financial Times-UK) David Gardner - Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has moved fast to start freeing Saudi society from the stifling watch of a reactionary and misogynistic clergy. He has set ambitious goals to transform the kingdom's oil-dependent economy into a hive of private investment-driven innovation. No one expects MbS to sprinkle pixie dust on an absolute monarchy that is rooted in a theocratically absolute brand of Islam and magic it into a Jeffersonian democracy. But this young ruler, autocratic even by Saudi standards, has undermined each of the three pillars that hold the kingdom aloft - the ruling House of Saud, the Wahhabi clerical establishment, and the tribes. It is an unqualified good that MbS is striving to unpick this fusion of religious and political power. But building up institutions to underpin the new kingdom he aims to create will be vital - not an optional extra.
2018-03-15 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive