logo
episode-header-image
Nov 2017
23m 19s

What Does the Saudi Crown Prince Want?

Bbc World Service
About this episode

He’s pushed through reforms but some fear there is a darker desire driving the ruler. In one night, Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman arrested over a dozen Princes and government ministers on corruption charges. To turn on his own royal family, he must be serious. But is corruption the Crown Prince’s real target or is this a power grab? There are also fears that the aggressive stance he has taken with Lebanon, Yemen and Qatar is increasing tensions with regional rival Iran. If the tension reaches a tipping point, there are fears the conflict could widen beyond the region. So what is he up to? What does the Saudi Crown Prince want?

(Photo: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, in Riyadh on October 24 2017. Credit: Fayez Nureldine/Getty Images)

Up next
Jan 13
Is nuclear disarmament set to self-destruct?
In February 2026, the last remaining nuclear arms control treaty bilateral between Russia and the United States is set to expire. The aim of the New START agreement was to reduce and limit the number of strategic nuclear warheads, but once this treaty comes to an end it means the ... Show More
24m 12s
Jan 6
Can Kenya answer the call for employment?
Kenya is facing rising public discontent over allegations of political corruption, economic stagnation and a shortage of good quality jobs, particularly for the country’s Gen Z. One of the government’s flagship responses is an ambitious push into digital outsourcing. It argues th ... Show More
23m 56s
Dec 30
How did music megatours become such a money spinner?
Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour shattered records, becoming the highest-grossing concert tour of all time, redefining what’s possible and confirming a new era in the business of touring. As streaming transformed how we listen to music, selling records is no longer the financial centrepi ... Show More
23m 57s
Recommended Episodes
Oct 2018
Is Saudi Arabia Heading Down a Dangerous Path?
The Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi disappeared after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul last week. Amid a welter of speculation and lurid allegations, a cloud of suspicion now hangs over the Saudi Government. The record of Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman, the Kingdom’s d ... Show More
23m 25s
Oct 2018
The State Sanctioned Murder of Saudi Journalist Jamal Khashoggi Will Shake International Relations
<div dir="ltr"> On October 2, Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi walked into the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, seeking to retrieve some marriage documents relating to his upcoming wedding.  He never came out. Turkish authorities believe he was tortured and murdered by Saudi intellig ... Show More
29m 46s
Sep 2022
Charles in charge: the future of the Commonwealth
Elizabeth II was devoted to <a href="https://www.economist.com/international/2022/09/09/the-commonwealth-will-miss-queen-elizabeth" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the Commonwealth</a>, a club of countries that are home to one-third of the world’s population. What is it ... Show More
23m 26s
Jun 2022
Power and the Palace
The royal family is no stranger to controversy — and Prince Charles has often been at the center of the scandal-du-jour. What happens when he takes on the job of maintaining the monarchy’s public image… the one he’s been accused of tarnishing over the years? We’ll take a look at ... Show More
31m 17s