A power struggle seems to be taking place in the Saudi royal family. Several high-ranking princes have been arrested after media reports over allegations of overthrow. It is not the first time that there has been a test of power.
Riyadh / Washington (dpa) - According to media reports, several high-ranking members of the royal family have been arrested in Saudi Arabia. They are accused of conspiring against the king.
The Wall Street Journal and the New York Times reported referring to people familiar with the case. Among the arrested were the brother and nephew of the 84-year-old King Salman. Accordingly, they not only face long prison terms, but possibly also the death penalty.
The king's brother, Prince Ahmed bin Abdulasis al-Saud (78) and Prince Mohammed bin Naif bin Abdulasis al-Saud (60) have both held the important post of Saudi Interior Minister in the past. According to the media reports, they were at times considered potential heirs to the throne. King Salman had deposed Mohammed bin Naif as Crown Prince in June 2017 as part of a reorganization of the succession to the throne and was replaced by his son Mohammed bin Salman (MBS).
The New York Times also reported the arrest of a third prince: Prince Nawaf bin Naif. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is said to be behind the arrests. Neither the Saudi royal family nor the Saudi media reported about the arrests. The paper spoke of a "new episode in the Saudi palace intrigue".
From the palace in Riyadh, only the King's son, Prince Saud bin Salman, spoke up on Saturday. He posted a photo on Twitter showing King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. It is overwritten with the words: "May God protect you".
The powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had already acted against leading members of the royal family in the past. In autumn 2017, he had more than 200 leading figures in the country appointed to the luxury hotel Ritz Carlton. Among other things, they were accused of corruption. Only after promises of cash payments were the people, including some members of the royal family, released. According to official figures, the compensatory payments had brought the kingdom revenues of more than 85 billion euros. Observers saw the procedure as an attempt by the then new Crown Prince MBS to consolidate his power.
Professor Juan Cole of the University of Michigan also sees the recent arrests as an attempt by the 34-year-old crown prince to secure power in the palace. He continues to take action against potential rivals, Cole wrote on his blog on Saturday. Golf observer Kristian Ulrichsen also sees a power struggle behind the developments. Four of the past five crown princes had failed to become king himself, he wrote on Twitter. "This may explain Mohammed bin Salman's savage approach against all potential rivals."
New York Times report
