The Two Faces of Mohammed bin Salman

Saudi Arabia ’s prodigal son returns to Washington this week, beginning a tour through the United States apparently aimed at drumming up investment in the country. Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) is young with big ideas: he wants to reform Saudi society and wean the Saudi economy off oil. He also wants to build up S audi as a foreign policy player – with or without the United States – and cement Saudi dominance in the Gulf.It ’s small wonder then that profiles and articles about the prince typically either laud him as a great reformer or simply criticize his foreign policy blunders. The truth is an accurate portrayal of Muhammed bin Salman must include both. And policymakers and businesses should be wary of the potenti al pitfalls of his proposed reforms, even as they hope for their success.  The Crown Prince ’s social reforms are a welcome step in the right direction, though they will be difficult to complete. Thus far, there has been a crackdown on the religious police, robbing them of much of their power over morality issues. Cinemas have been permitted to screen movies for the first time in decades . Women can now attend sporting events, and legal changes are in progress that will allow them to drive.Likewise, the innovative economic reforms that MBS has proposed – notably using an IPO of Aramco stock to shift the government’s primary income source away from oil and towards investment gains, paired with an attempt to reform the domestic economy and attract inwar...
Source: Cato-at-liberty - Category: American Health Authors: Source Type: blogs