Mohammed bin Salman's aggressive international role has tarnished his reputation in the West
Mohammed bin Salman's appointment as Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince on 21 June 2017 meant that, all things being equal, he would ascend the throne after his father. Since his elevation he has brought a youth culture to Saudi Arabia’s conservative and gerontocratic society.
The prince has introduced several successful reforms. These include regulations restricting the powers of the religious police and the removal of the ban on female drivers. He ensured an increased presence of women in the workforce. He also opened the country to international tourists by introducing an e-visa system which can now easily be issued for foreigners from the Internet to attend events and festivals.
However, his performances externally have not been particularly glorious. For example, Western powers who are traditional friends of the desert kingdom take a dim view of the war that Saudi Arabia is pursuing in Yemen.
The Gulf kingdom's image, when it comes to human rights, has also not been particularly good. This became worse when the crown prince was implicated in the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.
The crown prince's actions led to rumours of a rift between him and the king.
Keen observers have been watching the situation especially within the kingdom. These include hundreds of princes.
In the long-term interest of not only the House of Saud but also the crown prince himself, the King has moved gingerly. He seemed to have seen the need to rein in the prince.
It is important to note that while protecting the ruling house, the king is also trying not to alienate his son. He has ordered a main road in the capital to be named after him.
However, perhaps, in order to keep him more at home the crown prince will be put in charge of a committee to oversee the development of a massive park, sports and arts complex in Riyadh.
This will probably make the prince less visible around world capitals.
The king has become more visible lately.
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