Leading royals sought to block Crown Prince MBS accession to throne

Leading royals sought to block Crown Prince MBS accession to throne of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The dramatic arrests of two leading Saudi royals followed discussions between the two men about using a procedural body to block MBS. One of them led the body.

They sought to block the accession to the throne of the crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, if the current monarch dies or becomes incapacitated.

The Guardian has reported this quoting unidentified sources.

Three sources have confirmed to the Guardian that the arrests of Prince Ahmed bin Abdul Aziz, the sole remaining full brother of King Salman, and the former crown prince, Mohammed bin Nayef, on Friday were ordered after details of alleged conversations were passed to the royal court.

The detention of the two men was directed by Mohammed bin Salman, whom they are accused of trying to sideline through the allegiance council, a body established in 2007 to ensure a smooth transition of power should the king or crown prince die.

The council was instrumental in securing Mohammed bin Salman as crown prince in 2017 when he won 31 out of 34 votes, ousting Mohammed bin Nayef from the line of succession and establishing himself as the country’s de facto leader, a role he has ruthlessly consolidated ever since.

Prince Ahmed is believed to have been one of the three dissenters and has remained a critic of the young crown prince.

He and Mohammed bin Nayef are thought to be facing treason charges, although there were suggestions in Riyadh on Monday that such serious allegations may be watered down.

Two of the Guardian’s sources said the senior royals have been accused of trying to establish Prince Ahmed as chairman of the allegiance council, a position that is currently vacant.

The move would potentially give him sway over the tribal, family and clerical discussions that would lead to the nomination of new Saudi leaders.

The alleged discussions are not believed to have developed and appear to fall short of claims that the two men were planning a coup against the crown prince.

That allegation – and the confusion that followed the arrests – shocked Riyadh, prompting speculation that the king’s health had suddenly deteriorated and his son was clearing a path to take his place.

However, King Salman was pictured receiving Saudi diplomats on Sunday, dispelling rumours of his demise, and his supporters said he had no intention of leaving his position before the G20 summit in Riyadh in November.

Western officials who have been in meetings with the 84-year-old in the past week said he was lucid and focused and appeared to have changed little over the past two years.