After months out of the spotlight, the crown prince of Saudi Arabia has taken center stage with diplomatic and economic steps to condemn the new US president.
Joe Biden is expected to be less accommodating to Mohammed bin Salman, known as MbS, especially on the topics of Saudi arch-enemy Iran and human rights.
And the crown prince knows he will not enjoy the buffer that Donald Trump granted, diplomats say.
The reformist image of MbS took a hit in 2018, with the assassination of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi by agents seen close to the prince, and his steps to crush opponents and sideline opponents.
He denies ordering Khashoggi’s murder.
This year, however – MbS is back.
This rare TV appearance last week was to unveil a city without carbon – to show new economic momentum and to try to deter haunted foreign investors.
Another important economic step was the voluntary cutting of Saudi crude production to stabilize the oil markets.
There were also striking diplomatic moves.
In January, MbS chaired this Gulf Summit and announced reconciliation with Qatar, ending a dispute that is considered parishes in the West.
And to present himself as a statesman and pragmatist.
Elected President Biden is expected to return to talks with Tehran and take a firmer stance on Saudi Arabia’s human rights record and the devastating Yemeni war.
Riyadh, who was based on Trump’s support and tough campaign against Iran, is opposed to a return to the 2015 nuclear deal.
MbS therefore seeks to present Saudi Arabia as a moderating force that should be involved in future talks.
Nervousness over Biden over Iran was one of the reasons why the kingdom urged the Trump administration to blacklist the Yemeni-focused Houthi group of Yemen, which launched cross-border attacks on Saudi Arabia.
UN officials are warning that this could lead to a major famine in Yemen, and are urging Biden to repeal the move, which takes effect on Tuesday (January 19).
Other recent Saudi gestures include reduced prison sentences for a prominent women’s rights activist and an American Saudi doctor whose case was considered politically motivated.
Although Riyadh showed that it would not make a difference, they are seen as a nod to Biden.
Video transcription
[? MUHAMMAD BIN SALMAN: ?] [SPEAKING ARABIC]
– After months out of the spotlight, Saudi Arabia’s crown prince has taken center stage with diplomatic and economic steps aimed at condemning the new US president. Joe Biden is expected to be less accommodating to Muhammad bin Salman, known as MbS, especially on the topics of Saudi arch-enemy Iran and human rights. And the crown prince knows he will not enjoy the buffer that Donald Trump granted, diplomats say.
The reformist image of MbS took a hit in 2018, with the assassination of columnist Jamal Khashoggi of the “Washington Post” by agents seen close to the prince and his steps to crush opponents and sidelines. He denies ordering Khashoggi’s murder.
MUHAMMAD BIN SALMAN: [SPEAKING ARABIC]
– This year, however, MbS is back. This rare TV appearance last week was to unveil a city without carbon dioxide, show new economic momentum and try to hold back the haunted foreign investors. Another important economic step was the voluntary cutting of Saudi crude production to stabilize the oil markets. There were also striking diplomatic moves.
In January, MbS chaired this Gulf summit and announced reconciliation with Qatar, ending a dispute that is considered parishes in the West and trying to present himself as a statesman and pragmatist. Elected President Biden is expected to return to talks with Tehran and take a stronger stand on Saudi Arabia’s human rights record and the devastating Yemeni war. Riyadh, who has based himself in Trump’s support and tough campaign against Iran, is against a return to the nuclear deal in 2015. MbS is therefore seeking to present Saudi Arabia as a moderating force to be involved in future talks.
Nervousness over Biden over Iran was one of the reasons why the kingdom pushed the Trump administration to blacklist the Yemeni-oriented Houthi group of Yemen, which launched cross-border attacks on Saudi Arabia. UN officials warn it could push Yemen to large-scale famine and urge Biden to repeal the move, which takes effect on Tuesday. Other recent Saudi gestures include reduced prison sentences for a prominent women’s rights activist and an American Saudi doctor whose case was considered politically motivated. Although Riyadh showed that it would not make a difference, they are seen as a nod to Biden.