Saudi Arabia’s ‘Game of Throne’

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman speaks at the opening ceremony of Future Investment Initiative Conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia’s crown prince has promised to return the ultraconservative kingdom to a more “moderate” Islam.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman speaks at the opening ceremony of Future Investment Initiative Conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia's crown prince has promised to return the ultraconservative kingdom to a more "moderate" Islam on Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2017. Saudi Press Agency via AP, File
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman speaks at the opening ceremony of Future Investment Initiative Conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia’s crown prince has promised to return the ultraconservative kingdom to a more “moderate” Islam.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman speaks at the opening ceremony of Future Investment Initiative Conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia's crown prince has promised to return the ultraconservative kingdom to a more "moderate" Islam on Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2017. Saudi Press Agency via AP, File

Saudi Arabia’s ‘Game of Throne’

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Over the weekend, Saudi Arabia was dominated by international and domestic crisis.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced the arrest of eleven Saudi princes and several top officials on Saturday. Behind the moves is the continuing centralization of authority by Bin Salman, who has already served as the country’s deputy prime minister and minister of defense at the age of 32. On Monday, Saudi Arabia accused Iran of “act of war” over a missile fired towards Riyadh from Yemen.

To discuss what is unfolding in the royal family and the region, we’re joined by Juan Cole, professor of history at the University of Michigan and author of numerous books on the Middle East including, The New Arabs: How the Millennial Generation is Changing the Middle East.