Who is he?
Saudi Arabia’s new king following the death of his 90-year-old half-brother, King Abdullah. Salman, 79, has been crown prince since 2012 and defence minister since 2011. He has also been standing in for Abdullah for several months by chairing cabinet meetings, representing Saudi Arabia abroad and hosting foreign dignitaries.
How is his health?
Not good, but the nature of his condition is hard to verify with the secretive Saudi court. He is reported to have had at least one stroke and has lost some movement in his left arm. Rumours that he has dementia or Parkinson’s disease have been denied. He was well enough to meet US senator John McCain last week.
Is he a reformer?
No. He cautioned against the speed even of King Abdullah’s tentative reform programme, which has included such “modernising” policies as increasing education and granting limited new rights for women. A leaked US embassy cable from 2007 reported him saying that change had to be introduced slowly and sensitively because of Saudi Arabia’s “social and cultural factors” including the powers of the kingdom’s numerous tribes. Karen Elliot House, author of On Saudi Arabia: Its People, Past, Religion, Fault Lines, quoted him as saying democracy was not possible in the kingdom: “If we did every tribe would be a party and then we would be like Iraq and would have chaos.”
Is the transition likely to be smooth?
As Salman has, in effect, already been ruling Saudi Arabia for month, it will be very much business as usual. Commentators predict the continued of use of counter-terrorism laws used to suppress criticism of the regime.
What are his achievements?
He has reputation for settling feuds within the large Saudi royal family. A US embassy cable leaked by WikiLeaks referred to him as “often the referee in family disputes”. He is also respected for his 48-year record as governor of the capital, Riyadah, during which time the city’s population ballooned from 200,000 to 7 million. Commenting on his record as governor, Bruce Riedel, senior fellow and director of the Brookings Intelligence Project, said: “Salman presided over this remarkable transformation with a record for good governance and a lack of corruption.” As governor of Riyadh, he also quietly dealt with the discipline of younger royals when they erred. “He knows where all the bodies are hidden,” Riedel says.
Who is the new crown prince?
Prince Muqrin, a 69-year-old RAF-trained fighter pilot and former intelligence chief. Like Salman and the Abdullah, Murqin is a son of Saudi Arabia’s founder, Abdelaziz Ibn Saud. But he is believed to be the last son capable of becoming king. Looking to the future, the key challenge for the ruling family will be picking a successor from the next generation among first Saudi monarch Ibn Saud’s numerous grandsons. Salman himself is believed to have more than 50 sons by several wives. They include Prince Abdulaziz, the deputy oil minister; Prince Faisal, the governor of Medina; and Prince Sultan, the first Arab astronaut and head of the tourism authority. Another son with influence is believed to be Prince Mohammed, the eldest son from Salman’s third wife. In his 30s, Mohammed is the head of his father’s royal court.
