The Kingdom renews itself

If there is one word that can be used to describe the changes that have been made by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman, it is “renewal.”
The appointment of Prince Mohammed bin Naif as crown prince and Prince Mohammed bin Salman as deputy crown prince is a clear indication that the king is intent on renewing the governance of the Kingdom. He is preparing it for a generational change. As has been pointed out elsewhere, King Salman’s reconstruction of his Cabinet has had a radical impact on the profile of those who are working for this country’s future. The average age of the leadership has been reduced, at a stroke, from 79 years of age to 56 years.
The outside world has long insisted on the view that Saudi Arabia is a rigid society incapable of change. Saudis of course know better. The Kingdom has been in a process of constant change, of adaptation. Where foreign commentators always get it wrong is to assume that the conservative approach of the Saudi leadership is somehow a limitation. These people do not understand the commitment to a cautious evolution. They foolishly discount the firm adherence to the traditional values that have sustained the Kingdom for some 300 years. The bland assumption is that conservatism equates to lack of change. Nothing could be further from the truth. Where commentators go wrong is that they do not see the quiet continuum that underpins the affairs of the Saudi state. They are too used to the razzmatazz of politics elsewhere in the world. They want the sound bites. They want the dramatic political gestures. They want the sonorous leadership pronouncements. But that is simply not the Saudi way.
It has always been the practice of the Kingdom’s leadership to deliberate quietly before acting. The influence of Saudi diplomacy, not least in the Middle East, has been based upon this thoughtful policy making. When Saudi Arabia acts, it acts decisively.
Operation “Decisive Storm” which brought the Houthi rebellion in Yemen to a juddering halt could not have been better named. King Salman, even though new to his role, did not hesitate. A friendly neighboring state was being plunged into chaos. His response was immediate.
It is important to consider why the leadership was able to react and lead its allies in such a devastating reaction to the peril that faced the Yemeni people. There was and will always be a continuity in the Kingdom’s leadership.
That is the secret of Saudi Arabia’s strength. Analysts who pretend that changes presage discord and division are quite wrong. Our new foreign minister is the Adel Al-Jubeir, who has been ambassador to the United States. He replaces Prince Saud Al-Faisal who over four decades has established an unrivaled record as a foreign minister. As Secretary of State John Kerry has pointed out this week, the prince has worked with no less than 12 of Kerry’s predecessors in Washington. Prince Saud has long wished to retire, most recently because his health was deteriorating, but he was repeatedly asked to stay in post. Few people had a better understanding of the complex world in which the Kingdom lives.
The renewal that King Salman has brought about in the Saudi leadership is about far more than political change. The Kingdom is one of the most technologically advanced in the world. It boasts state-of-the-art communications, ultra-modern transport systems and rising e-government technology. It is one of the most technically sophisticated countries on the planet.
That has not been achieved by a leadership that is welded to the past. It is the especial genius of Saudi Arabia that it is able to be guided by its powerful traditions. It uses these beacons to successfully confront the changes of an increasingly unstable world. As in Yemen, the region looks to the Kingdom for leadership. As King Salman has demonstrated with the Decisive Storm operation, Saudi Arabia will not shrink from that key leadership role.
Because it is the Arab world’s most wealthy and powerful country, Saudi Arabia has immense responsibilities. It is expected to give leadership and guidance. Nothing that King Salman has done in the rebuilding of his Cabinet is going to inhibit that mission. The outside pundits can misunderstand as much as they wish. The reality is that with the changes that have been made in the Saudi leadership, the king has behaved with great wisdom and foresight. Saudi Arabia has been reinvigorated. The Kingdom has been renewed.