I was pleased to hear that King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz has appointed Prince Muqrin bin Abdulaziz, as Second Deputy Prime Minister. But I was surprised to read in The Times of London after that a story on the subject titled “Reform hopes dashed after Saudi prince is named man who would be king." This newspaper is prestigious, and a pillar of the British and international press. The Dubai-based author Hugh Tomlinson is a professional and capable journalist, and the story cannot thus be dismissed as a “conspiracy" or “gossip." Yet the first paragraph of the story went like this: A former hardline intelligence chief was anointed as the future king of Saudi Arabia yesterday in a move that will disappoint many hoping for a generational shift at the helm of the world's largest oil producer. Are there two men called Muqrin bin Abdulaziz? First of all, I have known Prince Muqrin for 30 years, and I have never heard anyone describe him as “hardline" before the Times' story. Second, the throne in Saudi Arabia, in accordance with the Basic Law, passes from the king to the crown prince. When the latter becomes king, there is no clause whatsoever that compels him to appoint the second deputy as the next crown prince. Third, a generational shift is out of the question in Prince Muqrin's case, since he is 67 years old, which means that he is younger than many of [King Abdulaziz's] grandsons who are nominated to play a role in governing their country. Fourth, Russia produces more oil than Saudi Arabia these days. Prince Muqrin was appointed as second deputy prime minister earlier this month, and I was surprised by the information mentioned in the Times. I checked the information with Saudi friends who know the prince like I know him, since I was afraid to rush to defend a Saudi official who happens to be a friend, and a liberal reformist by Saudi standards, and then find out that there are things I did not know about him. While I am cautious by birth and practice, my caution increased many times over following the Syrian crisis, where President Bashar al-Assad is acting like I had never expected him to do. I have never heard in my whole life a Saudi or non-Saudi complain about Prince Muqrin, or claim that he had harmed him in any way. I asked some trustworthy friends about the prince, and they all affirmed my opinion about the gentleness of his manners, and his kindness with all people. I do not need here to delve into a detailed profile of Prince Muqrin and his work. We all know that he was a military pilot, who was trained in Britain and the United States. He was also the governor of Ha'il, and then Medina, and after that the chief of General Intelligence and then advisor to the king and his emissary since July, 2012. I have been in touch with the prince in all the posts he occupied after his military service. He was always generous in the time that he gave me, and answered my questions. He trusted me in not publishing what he said off the record, so I often used the information in my articles without pointing out the source. The prince tried time after time to get me to visit him in Ha'il, but I would decline. He sent me once pictures from Ha'il showing abundant water, gardens and trees, and I told him that all this is present in London, and added jokingly that he does not invite me to St. Moritz or Saint Tropez, which are rather different from London. I remember once that Dr. Ghazi Al-Gosaib, may God rest his soul, invited us, when he was his country's ambassador in London, to a dinner in honor of Prince Muqrin, who was visiting London with his family. The prince attended the dinner with his daughter, and there were many Saudi and Arab women present, along with British officials. I heard a lengthy dialogue about the present state of British-Saudi relations and their future. I also saw Prince Muqrin both before that and after in Riyadh and Jeddah, and he always gave me important information, as he is well positioned in news-making circles, and I in reporting and conveying news. I stop here to say that the Soviet Union collapsed because the Central Committee grew old, and its members died one by one until the regime died with them. By contrast, the Communist Party in China knew how to inject new blood into its leadership, and now China is competing with the United States over first place in the global economy, and will probably overtake it in the foreseeable future. King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz realized the importance of renewing leadership, and we've seen him appoint Prince Mohammed bin Nayef as interior minister on 05/11/2012, Prince Saud bin Nayef as governor of the Eastern Province, and Prince Faisal bin Salman as governor of Medina on the 15th of last month, both posts enjoying the rank of minister. Those will no doubt be followed by others among the grandchildren [of King Abdulaziz], so I pray for a long life for King Abdullah, so that he may complete the shift to the younger generation. [email protected]
