It's a Royal Affair

Fire of Liberty

Here's Amir Taheri's insightful take in The Times on the decisions and challenges that await the House of Saud. Unless they make a serious reassessment of the current state of affairs in Riyadh they could have a rude awakening in the near future. Here's a sample:

King Abdullah would have to work fast to establish an agenda that addresses the needs of a nation where two thirds of the population are aged below 30. So if the new king opts for a strategy of change, the question remains whether the dynasty, and the broader establishment, would go along with it. Despite much speculation about an impending power struggle within the House of Saud, the new king would be able to cope with any opposition. The fact that King Abdullah is where he is, on a throne coveted by almost all of his 19 surviving half-brothers, is a sure indication of his political savvy and talent for survival.

“We are like camels,” Crown Prince Sultan once told me. “In fair weather we scatter in the prairie but we band together in rough weather.” Saudi Arabia is experiencing some of the roughest weather in its history.

In praying for change in this closed society but I'm not going to bet money on the regime that is so close with the Wahhabi sect of Islam. We'll see pretty soon though.