He has become known as the crown prince of propaganda. Armed with a series of very expensive strategy documents authored by the Boston Consulting Group and branded as his Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed bin Salman has tried to brush off the negative headlines associated with his role in the butchering of Yemen and the death of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi. But amid an oil price war with Russia and a brutal succession struggle at home, MBS is learning that not all his woes can be wished away by Ivy League graduates in open-neck shirts offering slide deck snake oil.
Rumors abound that MBS’ father, King Salman, still nominally the kingdom’s ruler, is dead. Over the weekend, these were fueled by a tweet from an usually accurate anonymous insider with impeccable sources, @mujtahidd. Shortly after, Middle East Eye reported that the crown prince had arrested up to 20 senior princes to quell an alleged coup plot. Sources claim MBS is orchestrating the purge because he plans to announce his succession this year, usurping his 84-year-old father, who, even if alive, suffers from acute dementia.
Full article at :Newsweek
