The death of King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, at the age of 90, beckoned a cautiously orchestrated transition of power to his successor Salman in the Al Saud dynasty that holds power in the nation. King Salman has pledged that the succession would be managed smoothly, with continuity in policies and stability in internal as well as foreign relations. Given the rising violence and political instability in the region, and the glut in oil supply and consequent fall in prices, this transition of power is a critical moment. Salman, who has been crown prince since 2012, is now 79 years old and not in the best of health. Clearing any sort of uncertainty, Prince Muqrin, followed by Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, 55, have been declared the crown princes to succeed King Salman. Although the monarchic succession plan seems to be clearly mapped out, the House of Saud is said to be riven by factions and internal feuds. Whether order will prevail within the royal family is hard to speculate, given the secretive nature of its internal affairs.
The transition of power is happening at a time when politics in the region is beset with uncertainty. Sunni-dominated Saudi Arabia and Shia-dominated Iran, with their decades of rivalry, are closely following the turmoil in Yemen since the resignation of President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi. The Shiite rebel group Houthi, suspected to have affiliations with Iran, has often accused Saudi Arabia of meddling in the country’s internal affairs. Riyadh has been praised for its effective counter-terrorism activities, especially with the Islamic State-dominated Iraq on its northern borders. Saudi Arabia continues to have favourable strategic partnerships with the United States, the United Kingdom and Europe. Even with the global glut in supply, King Salman is likely to continue pumping crude, keeping prices low, with no apparent intention to alter policies anytime soon. India maintains significant economic ties with Saudi Arabia, which is its biggest supplier of oil, accounting for 20.18 per cent of the imports in 2013-14. India accounts for 11 per cent of Saudi Arabia’s exports and 7.2 per cent of its imports. Remittances from Indians in Saudi Arabia amount to a substantial sum. From a socio-economic perspective, India has a lot at stake in the stability of the country. Given the centrality of Saudi Arabia to western economic interests, the West has often treated the country as an exception when it comes to human rights issues. The fact is that Saudi Arabia has an incredibly poor record in the matter of ensuring civil and political rights. Public flogging, beheading, and a general climate of intolerance are hallmarks of its criminal justice system. Women still do not have even the fundamental rights of speech, movement and assembly.
