The West has extended an open hand to Saudi Arabia's new ruler - Source: Shutterstock
The West endorses Saudi crown prince
MbS’s first visits to the UK and US as crown prince show acceptance there that he’ll be the next Saudi king. But not all Saudis are happy
Since becoming ruler of Saudi Arabia three years ago, King Salman has approved a wide range of changes to the way the country is governed. The most surprising and radical move was the promotion out of obscurity of his young son, Mohammed bin Salman (MbS). In a matter of months, he became defence minister and took over the reins of the energy, economic and security establishments. The final move in his consolidation of power was the removal of crown prince Mohammed bin Naif. MbS was the new heir to throne. Western allies of Saudi Arabia watched with some concern as the king made these jaw-dropping changes. They weren't always reassured by what they saw. The headlong rush into the war in Yemen
Also in this section
21 February 2025
While large-scale planned LNG schemes in sub-Saharan Africa have faced fresh problems, FLNG projects are stepping into that space
20 February 2025
Greater social mobility means increased global demand for refined fuels and petrochemical products, with Asia leading the way in the expansion of refining capacity
19 February 2025
The EU would do well to ease its gas storage requirements to avoid heavy purchase costs this summer, with the targets having created market distortion while giving sellers a significant advantage over buyers
18 February 2025
Deliveries to China decline by around 1m b/d from move to curb crude exports to Shandong port, putting Iran under further economic pressure
