Since assuming the throne on January 23, 2015 following the death of King Abdullah, Saudi Arabia’s new monarch, King Salman, seems to have set about the task of shaking up the ultraconservative kingdom. The punishment or pardoning of Raef Badawi became the litmus test of the new Saudi monarch’s reign as the blogger’s sentence coincided with the last days of the ailing King Abdullah and King Salman was compelled to face his personal past as promoter of Islamic fundamentalism abroad.
Challenges for the New Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia
The real test for Bin-Salman would be to manage the three-pronged challenge of keeping royal unity intact, expediting economic reforms and ensuring regional stability.