Newsrooms around the globe were abuzz with reports of a coup attempt in Saudi Arabia on the night of April 21, with unverified social media reports leading the charge. Video clips purported to show heavy gunfire at the scene, a security point in Riyadh's al-Khuzama neighborhood, where a palace belonging to King Salman is located. Western media did show some restraint in coverage, given the uncertainty of the situation, though they tried to hint at the possibility of political unrest. Video footage, however, seemed to show heavy shooting that lasted for at least 30 seconds, and social media "reporting" began to claim that the king had been evacuated to a military bunker at nearby King Khalid air base for his safety. But there were no other signs within Riyadh of any trouble, such as internet disruption or communication difficulties, and the city was otherwise calm.
Official word soon came that security forces had "dealt with" an unauthorized, small recreational drone after spotting it at near the king's palace, and state media assured that the king was at his farm in Diriyah, and the crown prince, Muhammad bin Salman (MbS) nowhere in the area. Of course, that did little to kill speculation that this was not the full story, especially given the taught atmosphere among the royal family. Tensions have rarely been higher than in the wake of the uncomfortable reforms MbS is pushing through with his domestic agenda, and his disruption of succession norms has alienated a sizable number of princes who see now their hopes and ambitions dashed. In the aftermath both of the sidelining of his predecessor in the role of crown prince, Muhammad bin Nayif, and the shakedown of dozens of royals and prominent figures following that, there is likely no shortage of disaffected royals willing to risk it all in a last ditch, even violent, showdown.
But desperation on the part of marginalized and bitter princes is not the only threat MbS faces - there is the ever-present menace of terrorism, not only from organized groups such as al-Qa'ida, which does not recognize the legitimacy of Al Saud rule over the peninsula (Muhammad bin Nayif, as Interior Minister, was himself nearly killed in an assassination attempt), but from unaffiliated extremists who may be harder for the security services to monitor (a gunman drove up to a gate of Salman's palace in Jiddah and opened fire in October 2017, killing two guards and wounding several others before being shot dead). MbS has alienated large numbers of religious conservatives, who were already angered at the gradual liberalization of society, and who now resent the imposition of Western cultural norms, seeing the frenzy for pop concerts and WWE events, and women about to drive. Though less immediate, there is also the threat of violence from political activists or foreign agents. The Al Saud feel under seige, and not for nothing has MbS surrounded himself with a private army of 5,000 mercenaries (this in addition to the Royal Guard, tasked with the protection of the royal family, and the National Guard, whose primary responsibility has been to act as a bulwark against domestic threats).
It is not hard to see why even poorly-sourced rumors of palace trouble find a ready audience. In this case, reports have suddenly begun to circulate alleging that the crown prince was injured or even killed in the April attack, which is stated to have been, in fact, a coup attempt. The only evidence to back this up is the complete absence of MbS from any official function or media appearance in the time since the night's events. Indeed, the most notable lapse has been his failure to be featured alongside the new American Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during his official visit. Although news reports said he had hosted a 'working dinner' with Pompeo, the only pictures shown were of of the diplomat's meetings with King Salman and Foreign Minister Adil al-Jubayr.
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In this album, Jordanian honor guards parade in a ceremony honoring King Salman bin Abd al-Aziz of Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, March 28, 2017. During the ceremony, Jordan's King Abdal |
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Saudi Gazette report JEDDAH mdash; The Ministry of Education has uncovered financial discrepancies at some universities reaching millions of riyals and has formed a specialized committee to investigate the possible violations, Al-Watan daily reported. A source at the ministry reported that undocumented and unauth |
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Water supplied to Najran villages polluted, residents claim
nbsp; Saudi Gazette report nbsp; NAJRAN mdash; Residents of villages and small towns in Najran Province claim their water supplies are polluted and requested the Najran General Directorate of Water to fulfill its promise of providing potable water to the region, Al-Watan daily reported. |
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