Saudi shake-up to appease citizens ‘thirsty for change’
New royals issue their manifesto for change in a statement exclusive to The Daily Telegraph
SAUDI ARABIA has issued a manifesto for change – in the face of rumours of coup plots and international pressure – ranging from economic reform to the role of women, and allowing human rights groups into the country for the first time.
At a time when the country’s internal politics are under more scrutiny than they have been for decades, advisers to the new King Salman and his son have taken the unprecedented step of outlining a plan for its future government to The Daily Telegraph.
It amounts to a programme of budget cuts, increasing the role of the private sector and reforms to the way the kingdom is governed.
The plan acknowledges that radical changes in the royal family since the king acceded to the throne in January – including the sidelining of older princes and the former heir to the throne – have met with opposition. There are claims that disgruntled princes want to mount a coup to replace the king with one of his brothers.
But the statement of principles shown to The Daily Telegraph says that the way the country has been run since it was founded a century ago must change. “The media is talking about a crisis within the royal family but they forget to talk to the Saudi people who are thirsty for change and economic reform,” it says.
“People want a ‘remake’ of the Kingdom on new foundations that will make it a major economic power, and this will not happen without a shake-up.”
The document suggests that the authorities are in part to blame for the country’s poor international image, particularly over women’s rights.
“We have lost a lot in this case [in terms of public opinion],” it says. “[But this] was fair, because we did not improve the way we managed that issue.”
In what would be a major step forward, it also seeks to “open the doors of the kingdom to international committees and human rights organisations”.
The proposals spring from dramatic political changes since the death of King Abdullah in January. He had reigned since 2005, but had already been effectively running the country for a decade before that, since his brother and predecessor King Fahd suffered a debilitating stroke.
Since 1953, the country had been ruled by the sons of the modern kingdom’s founder, King Abdulaziz. The brothers have succeeded each other, with authority for different branches of government spread between sons and their immediate families.
King Salman moved quickly to change this. The next brother in line, Prince Muqrin, who became Crown Prince on Abdullah’s death, was replaced by Salman’s nephew, Prince Mo- hammed bin Nayef, moving the line of succession to the next generation.
The king’s son, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, became deputy Crown Prince and defence minister, and at 30 is seen as one of the Middle East’s most powerful men. He has negotiated directly with President Vladimir Putin over the future of Syria, for example.
Other princes who held ministerial positions have been replaced with career civil servants. The statement given to The Daily Tel
egraph addresses the criticism of Saudi Arabia’s internal governance that it relies too much on oil revenues to provide citizens with low-grade jobs in the bureaucracy.
With finances under pressure as the price of oil has halved since June last year, officials are talking for the first time about borrowing money and even imposing taxes.
The new plan envisages cutting waste and increasing spending on infrastructure to “diversify sources of income”.
The lower oil price has, however, created a “window of opportunity”, the document says. Taking advantage of that will require foreign investment, in partnership with traditional allies such as Britain, the US and France, and particularly in the field of technology.
In some areas, the statement insists, the kingdom will not change. It does not directly address questions of democratic reform or relieving what critics call a crackdown on human rights activists and pro-democracy campaigners since the Arab Spring in 2011.
It rejects criticism – from Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour leader, among others – over its handling of protests by the minority Shia community in 2011-12. A Shia cleric, Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, and his young nephew, Ali Mohammed alNimr, have both been sentenced to death by beheading. Ali al-Nimr was only 17 at the time of the protests.
“The al-Nimr family members pursued violence and attacks on security forces and government facilities beside terrorising civilians, hooliganism and vandalism,” the document says. “It is a clear criminal act that led to murders of police officers.
“We have all the rights to maintain the safety and security of our citizens and we cannot understand the demands to make it go unpunished.”
However, the document says it “understands Britain’s position”, even if it is difficult to respond to complaints over internal Saudi affairs. It also states that on women the country should have been more open, adding the authorities have been held back by “heritage and popular tradition”.
Women still have to get permission from a “guardian” – normally a father, husband or brother – before travelling, and are not permitted to drive. They are also required to wear a headscarf in public, the only country where this is the case, apart from Iran.
But the document points to advances in education – where women now outnumber men at university – health and social care. “We have come a long way and cannot underestimate efforts to enhance the role of women in society and give them the rights they deserve.”
If human rights groups such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch are given access to the country, it will signal a remarkable change.
The groups have been strongly critical of the Saudi courts system, its punishments – particularly a marked rise in the number of executions – and its attitude to freedom of speech and political opposition.
‘We have come a long way and cannot underestimate efforts to enhance the role of women in society’