This article originally appeared at Business Insider:
Saudi Arabia over the weekend saw the upheaval of leading government officials and business figures, as well as increased tension with the kingdom’s rival Iran.
At the center of the changes is Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the next in line to the Saudi throne. Salman has been publicly pushing for economic modernization for the kingdom and recently said he would lead the country back to “moderate Islam.”
Arguably the most noteworthy of the weekend’s actions was the surprise anti-corruption purge launched Saturday by Salman. At least 11 princes were arrested, along with dozens of government ministers.
“With the weekend detentions, Crown Prince Prince Mohammad bin Salman has succeeded in controlling all three Saudi security services, while cowing both conservative and reform-minded clerics — an unprecedented consolidation of power in the country’s history,” The Soufan Center, a strategic consultancy firm, wrote in a Monday note.
Read the full story at Business Insider.
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