Uneasy Lies the Head: MBS and US-Saudi Relations

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June 21st will mark the fourth anniversary of Mohammed Bin Salman’s ascendancy to the title of Saudi Crown Prince. His relatively short tenure as de-facto ruler has proved to be an unprecedented one, for no previous Saudi ruler in recent memory has been as bold or nakedly ambitious as this one. Now trying to untangle the Gulf Crisis, the question inevitable emerges for the Biden Administration: what to do with MBS? 

Some are quick to forget how charmed the world was of the young despot. The combination of skillful PR and shallow reforms proved a potent mix, as MBS for a time was launched onto the international stage as a forward-thinking reformer, set on transforming the Saudi state from a perceived medieval backwater to a glassy Dubai-like paradise. Sleek powerpoints arranged by firms like McKinsey & Company gave the world the first look of this ambitious agenda, which would come to be known as Saudi Vision 2030. “I do not want to die before I see the Middle East at the forefront of the world” MBS declared in front of a clapping crowd of lackeys. Indeed, for a time there seemed to be a momentum building up around the Arab World’s youngest leader, as many felt that his zealotry would be enough to shake up the decrepit conservative regime which he now controlled.  

But as the years have passed, the image MBS has worked hard to cultivate no longer exists. A series of missteps have revealed him to be a brutal and short-sighted autocratic ruler. The botched intervention in Yemen and the grizly murder of Jamal Khashoggi are the most prominent in a long list of blunders commited by MBS in his relatively short reign. He would be an international pariah by now if Saudi money wasn’t so alluring. 

With the Biden Administration’s intentions to ease tensions in the Gulf in mind, observers have wondered about the possible stance that would be taken regarding MBS. He has shown himself to be an extremely destabilizing force, and his hardliner position regarding Iran could be a major obstruction to any American efforts of reconciliation. 

At first, President Biden made promising steps. He has announced his wish to only directly communicate with the reigning King, Salman—a symbolic gesture meant to remind MBS of his dejure secondary role as Crown Prince (Turak). He has also halted a 500 million dollar arms deal organized under the previous administration, which would have undoubtedly replenished the flailing Saudi military in their Yemeni slugfest (Akbar Shahid).

But this may not have been enough. Biden missed out on the opportunity to press the royal family for MBS’ ouster following a CIA intelligence report that conclusively stated MBS central’ role in the murder of Jamal Khashoggshi (Harris, Miller). And other than the pivots listed above, the Biden administration has shown no major signs of reevaluating the United States’ relationship with Saudi Arabia. 

This is not without reason, however. President Biden’s Middle East policy is stabilization and rapprochement. The precarious position of Biden will leave no room for major changes in the US-Saudi relationship.   
So at least for the time being, MBS will be permitted to keep his crown. Time will only tell what this will mean for his Kingdom, as well as the region. 

References

AlArabiya English. “Saudi Crown Prince: The New Europe Is the Middle East, Even Qatar.” YouTube, YouTube, 24 Oct. 2018, www.youtube.com/watch?v=0sE9xCDfuuU. 

NatashaTurak. “Biden's Snub of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Is a 'Warning' Signaling a Relationship Downgrade.” CNBC, CNBC, 17 Feb. 2021, www.cnbc.com/2021/02/17/bidens-snub-of-saudi-crown-prince-mohammed-bin-salman-is-a-warning.html. 

Ahmed, Akbar Shahid. “Joe Biden Pauses Trump-Era Arms Sales To Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates.” HuffPost, HuffPost, 27 Jan. 2021, www.huffpost.com/entry/democrats-biden-stop-saudi-arms-deal_n_6011a1a4c5b6b8719d893d4a. 

Shane Harris, Greg Miller. “CIA Concludes Saudi Crown Prince Ordered Jamal Khashoggi's Assassination.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 17 Nov. 2018, www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/cia-concludes-saudi-crown-prince-ordered-jamal-khashoggis-assassination/2018/11/16/98c89fe6-e9b2-11e8-a939-9469f1166f9d_story.html.