News & Comment
The only reform that Saudi Arabia needs is an real Islamic change

News

Mohammed bin Salman named Saudi Arabia's crown prince
Saudi king replaces first in line to the throne with his son, Mohammed bin Salman, the defense chief, state media says.

Saudi Arabia's King Salman has appointed his son, Mohammed bin Salman, as heir, in a major reshuffle announced early on Wednesday.

A royal decree removed Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, a 57-year-old nephew of the king, as next-in-line to the throne and replaced him with Mohammed bin Salman, 31, who was previously the deputy crown prince.

According to the official Saudi Press Agency, the newly announced crown prince was also named deputy prime minister and maintained his post as defence minister.
The former crown prince was also fired from his post as interior minister, the decree said. (Source: aljazeera.com)

Comment

It was expected that the son and also deputy crown prince Mohammed bin Salman would be appointed as the new crown prince to follow up King Salman of Saudi Arabia (S.A.). As he is the chairman of the Council of Economic and Development Affairs and the architect of the “Vision 2030”; which is linked to the National Transformation Plan in order to institute economic reforms in S.A. designed to diversify the economy, end overreliance on oil. But it encompasses more than just economics. It’s a plan to reorganise Saudi Arabia’s governmental structural composite and decision making and other spheres of the S.A. society. However the most profound reform it wants to change is the image of S.A. to a more “moderate Muslim” state. As he puts it, “Our Vision is a tolerant country with Islam as its constitution and moderation as its method.”

Winds of reform are raging for quite some time in S.A., in the background, is staged and promoted by the U.S. Just a couple of months ago, the crown prince and Defence Minister Mohammed bin Salman met with US President Donald Trump at the White House. The goal of this gathering was directed to “strengthening mutual ties” as if the ties are not strong enough. Trump stated that Mohammed bin Salman has put “things on the right track”. The prince could not hide his gratitude to his master in Washington and stated: “importance of the great change that President Trump is leading in the U.S,” that it coincided with Saudi Arabia’s “Vision 2030″ program.

Nevertheless S.A. officials are pushing this Vision 2030 as solely an economic reform plan in response of the demands of the growing young population, which will serve in the interest of the people. However, how credible is this claim when the Saudi government recently signed a 10 year military sales deal worth over 350 billion USD with the United States! And how credible it this claim when it wants to sell Saudi Aramco, which is a state-owned company, a 5% stake to foreign investors?

Also the crown prince is the Minister of Defence. When he stepped in to office in January 2015, he initiated a brutal assault with the green light of US “Operation Decisive Storm” in Yemen. So far, this proxy war has already cost the kingdom tens of billions of dollars.

Where is the economic benefit for the people here?

It is clear, that the real purpose of it is to be subservience to the US interest without any limitations or boundaries. Even if they will lose everything, their loyalty to the enemies of Islam is strong and will remain. The reform that really should take place is a real Islamic change that will get rid of the Saud clan and give the authority to the Ummah which will cut the ugly tentacles of Kuffar states.

Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by
Okay Pala
Media Representative of Hizb ut Tahrir in The Netherlands