[Magdalen] Saudi Arabia - prayers for implications

[Roger Stokes]

On 23/01/2015 04:18, Joseph Cirou wrote:
> The descendants of King Ibn Saud have inherited the monarchy for the last
> 60 years or so. Is the new king among the last of that generation? Who
> would be the next in line from the next generation? It seems a bit more
> complicated that the Royal Successoin in the UK.

I think it probably needs to be more complicated when you are dealing 
with an absolute monarchy in a predominantly tribal culture.  The new 
king has to be acceptable to the rest of the family, who themselves 
occupy important government posts, or there will be massive tensions and 
the government could fall apart. Compared with that the fact that the 
third in line for a constitutional monarchy is a toddler does not really 
matter.  Power lies in other hands, both in the UK and in other 
countries where the UK monarch is Head of State.

According to thew Washington Post at http://wapo.st/1tGGng8 Muqrin (70), 
the new King's half-brother whose mother was a Yemeni concubine rather 
than a wife of ibn Saud, should be next in line as he was Deputy Crown 
Prince.  However there are supposedly rumours about his appointment so 
the new King Salman may appoint another brother, Ahmed (75), as the new 
Crown Prince.  Either way that will be the last of the present 
generation, after which the crown will pass to a grandson of ibn Saud. 
Generally the Post reckons there could be instability down the line, 
which is not good news for the rest of the world.

Roger