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One of the world's most luxurious hotels... The Ritz-Carlton, Riyadh... where a single night's stay costs thousands of dollars.
Explore the rise, personality, and impact of Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s ambitious and controversial Crown Prince.
Key Takeaways
- Mohammed bin Salman transformed from a relatively unknown prince to Saudi Arabia’s most powerful figure through strategic moves and his father’s trust.
- His leadership style is characterized by impatience, risk-taking, and a desire to rapidly modernize Saudi Arabia.
- MBS’s rise involved sidelining rivals through a quiet but effective coup, consolidating control over key state institutions.
- He is a polarizing figure, seen both as a reformer and a ruthless authoritarian responsible for controversial policies and actions.
- Understanding MBS requires recognizing his complex personality shaped by ambition, insecurity, and a strategic worldview.
What the video covers
- The video explores the dramatic 2017 Ritz-Carlton detainment of Saudi elites orchestrated by Mohammed bin Salman (MBS).
- MBS is portrayed as a young, ambitious, and ruthless leader reshaping Saudi Arabia’s political and economic landscape.
- It explains the unique Saudi succession system and how MBS, initially an overlooked prince, rose rapidly with his father King Salman's support.
- MBS’s personality traits include impatience, risk-taking, and a strategic mindset influenced by video games.
- His rapid accumulation of power included becoming Defense Minister at 29 and later Crown Prince after a quiet but ruthless coup.
- The video discusses MBS’s dual image as a reformer opening Saudi Arabia to modernity and a potential dictator accused of human rights abuses.
- It highlights MBS’s control over the military, economy, and media to consolidate power.
- The transcript touches on controversial topics like the Yemen war and the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi linked to MBS.
- MBS’s vision includes futuristic projects like a robot-run city and efforts to diversify Saudi Arabia’s economy and society.
- The video calls for viewers to subscribe and share, promising new insights into MBS’s character and rule.
Chapters
- 00:00The Ritz-Carlton Detainment: Saudi Elites Imprisoned
- 00:58Introducing Mohammed bin Salman: Ambition and Ruthlessness
- 03:00Saudi Succession System and Early Power Dynamics
- 04:04Mohammed bin Nayef: The Former Crown Prince
- 05:08MBS’s Personality and Work Ethic
- 06:07MBS’s Strategic Mindset and Risk-Taking
- 07:07Rapid Rise: Defense Minister and Economic Reforms
- 08:17Consolidation of Power and Media Control
- 09:32The 2017 Coup: MBS Becomes Crown Prince
Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown
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But on that night, it wasn't a luxury hotel... it had suddenly been transformed into a prison.
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A prison whose inmates were no ordinary people... they were Saudi Arabia's most powerful princes, billionaire businessmen...
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and serving government ministers. The very people who were running the country just yesterday, whose single gesture could decide the fate of others.
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On mattresses laid out on the floor of this very hotel, those same people were trying to sleep. No one could understand what was happening. What was going on?
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Was this a rebellion? Or had some grand conspiracy taken place within the royal palace?
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No! This was a far more dangerous game! This was a campaign initiated from within the royal family, whose mastermind was...
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just one young man. A young man who is ambitious, and yes! Very ruthless too.
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Whom the world today knows by the name MBS, meaning Mohammed bin Salman! So, who exactly is this Mohammed bin Salman?
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Is he the one who allows women to drive in a society like Saudi Arabia?
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Who opens cinemas? Or is he the one accused of having his dissident journalist assassinated?
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Is he the one who presents a dream of a futuristic city? Or the one who imposes war on one of the poorest countries, Yemen?
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Is he the one who wants to be a great reformer, or the one who has the full potential to become a ruthless dictator?
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Today, on 'Dareecha,' we will decode Mohammed bin Salman and find out how the world's most powerful youngster works...
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how he thinks. I assure you that today's video will contain many things you have never heard about Mohammed bin Salman before!
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But for that, you'll have to do one thing... Yes! Subscribe to the channel, share it, and spread it far and wide because we really need your support right now!
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So, the first question: where did this Mohammed bin Salman come from? Well, he is the seventh son of the current King of Saudi Arabia, Salman bin Abdulaziz...
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born on August 31, 1985, to the king's third wife! But he wasn't well-known until 2015, when Salman bin Abdulaziz became king...
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and at a time when Saudi politics was at a very critical juncture! Oh no, this is not Pakistan's critical juncture. This was a real critical juncture. In fact, after the "Arab Spring," the entire region was trembling...
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The ground was slipping from under the feet of kings or rather, it had already slipped!
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At that time, a man became king of Saudi Arabia who didn't hold the real authority...
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Instead, the power fell into the hands of one of his sons. And that too, a son for whom it was very difficult to become not just the king but even the crown prince!
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How did all this happen? For that, we first need to understand the succession system in Saudi Arabia, which is unique and quite complex!
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In Saudi Arabia, the monarchy doesn't pass from father to son, but from brother to brother...
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just as King Salman himself received it after his half-brother, Abdullah bin Abdulaziz! So, everyone assumed that King Salman, as per tradition, would appoint a senior and experienced prince from the next generation as crown prince.
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And initially, he did just that. Upon taking power, he announced his half-brother, Muqrin bin Abdulaziz, as the Crown Prince!
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And he appointed his powerful nephew, Mohammed bin Nayef, as the Deputy Crown Prince! Mohammed bin Nayef, or MBN, was a very influential man...
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and at that time, he was also the country's interior minister. He controlled the entire security apparatus of Saudi Arabia...
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And yes! He was considered a very close and trusted ally of the United States!
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At that time, MBS, Mohammed bin Salman, wasn't even in the picture! And he wasn't considered an important prince in the Saudi royal family anyway...
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He was always overshadowed by his powerful cousins! Perhaps this is why, even today, we see a deep insecurity within Mohammed bin Salman...
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He wants to do something very, very big and prove himself to his father, to the royal family, and to the world!
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But at that time, Mohammed bin Salman had one thing, something that everyone missed. He was King Salman's favorite and most beloved son!
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And this was a point that would later work greatly in his favor! So, the young MBS had many qualities. He was very energetic...
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completely different from the typical Saudi princes! It's said that he was a 'workaholic' who worked 18 hours a day!
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He also loves presentations, data, and charts, and he wants everything done immediately, right now!
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And this very impatience was to become his greatest strength... and also his greatest weakness!
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But what was lacking in a prince's upbringing that made him so impulsive and impatient?
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For that, let me show you a side of Mohammed bin Salman's personality that very few people know!
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Ben Hubbard's book, "MBS: The Rise to Power of Mohammed bin Salman," reveals that MBS spent his youth playing video games, especially strategy games!
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Games like Age of Empires, Call of Duty, and Final Fantasy... and we can clearly see its impact on his personality!
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He sees the world as a grand game in which you have to take risks, control resources, and above all, defeat your rivals...
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And this is where his risk-taker mindset was born! So, let's start connecting the clues: an insecure, impatient risk-taker and a very ambitious person...
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who had understood, had realized, that if he waited the traditional way, his turn would never come in his lifetime!
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Because Mohammed bin Salman was nowhere in the Saudi line of succession... not even close!
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But then he found an ally who made the path ahead easier for him... King Salman bin Abdulaziz himself!
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Yes! Very few people know that MBS's real power is his father's blind trust in him!
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It was King Salman who broke every tradition, every rule, to clear the way for his son!
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And the first move he made for this was astonishing for everyone. As soon as he became king, he made MBS the country's Minister of Defense!
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Yes! A country like Saudi Arabia... the defense minister of the most powerful nation in the Muslim world was...
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a 29-year-old boy! Everyone was shocked but the party had just begun! Within a few days, MBS was also made the head of the 'Council for Economic and Development Affairs'...
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which meant the country's economy, oil policy, and authority over every major project were now in the hands of this young man!
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The time was drawing near... Behind the scenes, things were slowly working in MBS's favor, and then...
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the real game began! The next-level boss appeared! Only three months had passed since King Salman became king when, in April 2015, the first bombshell dropped!
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Through a royal decree, he removed Crown Prince Muqrin bin Abdulaziz from the path and appointed Mohammed bin Nayef as the new Crown Prince!
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And who sat on the now-vacant chair of the Deputy Crown Prince? Yes! MBS! In a single leap, he had become second in the line of power!
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For the next two years, MBS used his power like an art form. He consolidated his control over the military, tightened his grip on the economy, and used the media in his favor!
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Mohammed bin Salman built his own identity, the identity of a reformer, a prince who "gets things done," who was challenging the old and inefficient bureaucracy. And then, that night arrived!
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June 2017! Overnight, a coup took place, a bombshell dropped, and everything changed! King Salman dismissed his nephew and the most powerful Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Nayef!
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It is said that MBN was summoned to the palace and placed under house arrest...
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He was pressured and then forced to resign! The man who, just yesterday, was the country's second most powerful man...
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America's favorite was reduced to a prisoner! And who became the new Crown Prince in MBN's place?
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Yes! You guessed it right, Mohammed bin Salman at the mere age of 31! It was a very quiet but incredibly ruthless coup!
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MBS had removed every thorn, every rival from his path.
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and was the country's true and one and only ruler! And then MBS showed the world a new dream a dream that is about to become a reality...
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or perhaps turn into a beautiful mirage! Upon coming to power, MBS presented a huge, magnificent, and very expensive project...
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named: Vision 2030! This wasn't just a project; it was a dream a dream of a new Saudi Arabia!
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The simple meaning of this vision is to change Saudi Arabia! Yes! This was the Saudi version of the slogan "Change," whose biggest goal is to end the Saudi economy's dependency on oil...
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meaning Saudi Arabia will no longer just sell oil; it will also earn money from tourism, technology, entertainment, and investment!
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Yes! MBS wants to run the country like a modern corporation... or rather, he is trying to run a monarchy like a corporation!
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Furthermore,Mohammed bin Salman Uber, SoftBank, Newcastle United Football Club, and other major global companies, by investing is not just making money...
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he is also increasing his international influence... Then, for a "new Saudi Arabia," the path MBS paved...
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is a very Non-Saudi style it's the path of leading the country towards Moderate Islam!
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All the religious restrictions that had existed in Saudi Arabia from the beginning were relaxed!
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And then we saw a change that, just a few years ago, no one could have imagined!
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Women in the country were allowed to drive... then, steps went further... In a country like Saudi Arabia, cinemas were opened...
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then major music concerts began to take place... entertainment festivals like Riyadh Season were held attracting major artists from all over the world!
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Formula 1 races and golf tournaments were organized... the arrival of tourists began and even the doors of Medina were opened for them!
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The Muslim world was astonished, what has suddenly happened to Saudi Arabia? They did not want to see all this happening on their holy land, but why would Mohammed bin Salman care about anyone?
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He went even further, virtually eliminating the powers of the religious police... Now Saudi Arabia was becoming an open society!
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Mohammed bin Salman gave the Saudi people a new Social Contract... We will give you jobs, entertainment opportunities, and social freedom...
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in return, you will give us your complete political loyalty and ask no questions! For this, MBS did something which I would personally call his most dangerous act...
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promoting Saudi nationalism, the rise of Saudi Nationalism! How was Saudi Arabia established? It was a religious reformer, Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab, and the ancestor of the House of Saud, Muhammad bin Saud the result of an agreement between Their alliance in the 18th century led to the establishment of the first Saudi state,
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and since then, the Al ash-Sheikh (descendants of Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab)... and the successors of the House of Saud have run the country on the basis of a single ideology...
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the basis of the religion of Islam! But today's Saudi Arabia, after two and a half to three hundred years...
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a new Saudi Arabia is being created that... neither stands on the foundation of its religious...
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identity nor draws inspiration from tribal loyalties! For this, MBS is giving his youth a new identity, the identity of Saudi nationality!
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And this is a very dangerous thing! How? Let me explain. In reality, every nationalist movement does one thing first: it rewrites history...
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meaning it writes it again! Every nationalist movement believes that its nation is the most superior...
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the greatest the most magnificent even greater than religion! And I am saying this with all seriousness...
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You might have even heard someone say that I have been a Muslim for 1400 years...
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but a Pashtun for 5000 years or a Sindhi or fit in whatever nationality you want here...
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Yes! This is the psychology of nationalism... which might not be problematic in other countries, but it certainly is in a country that was founded in the name of Islam, whose flag bears the Kalima!
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This is the same move that was first seen in the Muslim world in Turkey, where Mustafa Kemal Pasha threw religion out...
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We saw the same problem in Iran under the Pahlavi dynasty's rule... which later resulted in a revolution...
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We saw something similar in Gamal Abdel Nasser's Egypt, whose slogan had become "Nahnu Al-i-Fir'aun" meaning "We are the descendants of Pharaoh"!
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And today, we see the same thing in Saudi Arabia! Meaning, the country whose very foundation was laid on religion...
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which in its history has always been very close to Islam... is the center of Islam worldwide due to Mecca and Medina...
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whose ruler calls himself the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques... today, that same Saudi Arabia is being deliberately distanced from Islam as a policy...
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not openly not explicitly but it has at least been put on that path! How? See for yourself: Saudi Arabia's national day was always celebrated with simplicity...
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but in the MBS era, it's a huge event... with music and fireworks displays, and Saudi flags are waved everywhere!
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Now, even Saudi history is not being linked from a religious angle but from the pre-Islamic era of ignorance!
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Ancient civilizations are being made the national heritage of Saudi Arabia... like Madain Saleh! It is mentioned in the Hadith that when the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)...
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was on his journey for the Expedition of Tabuk... his army passed through this very place of Madain Saleh!
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At that time, the Prophet (PBUH) ordered his companions to pass through this area as quickly as possible...
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because it is a place of divine punishment! But today, that same area is being presented as a national heritage in Saudi Arabia...
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It is being developed as a major spot for tourism... Why? Because such things feed the ideology of nationalism!
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This is a very long-term plan that will further strengthen the monarchy in the country...
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and make the nation greater and greater... and to fulfill this obsession with "greatness," the thing that always comes in handy is megaprojects!
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From the pyramids of the Pharaohs' time to the engineering marvels of today... you'll see that every king who wants to establish his legacy...
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and cannot do so through his actions and justice turns to one thing... grand buildings, i.e., megaprojects!
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That's why MBS also brought megaprojects massive, such projects that they boggle the mind! Take NEOM, for example! A 500-billion-dollar project!
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A futuristic city on the coast of the Red Sea, where there will be no roads, no cars, everything will be done by robots through AI!
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In the same city, there will be a 170-kilometer-long, glass-walled building called... The Line! The whole world was inspired by this...
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The West started calling MBS a great reformer and a visionary leader! The youth of Saudi Arabia were also very happy...
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they had hope that Saudi Arabia was truly changing! But...! Is this the whole picture? Is there a terrifying darkness behind this glamour?
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Absolutely! In reality, on one hand, there were talks of this 'new Saudi Arabia'... but on the other hand, MBS was doing something else!
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Very quietly but with great ruthlessness! That task was: to completely consolidate his power and crush all kinds of dissent!
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He showed the world that he has an iron fist in a velvet glove! Meaning, an iron hand beneath a velvet glove!
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The biggest example of this Iron Hand policy was the Ritz-Carlton drama of November 2017!
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As I mentioned at the beginning, a luxury hotel in Riyadh was turned into a jail overnight!
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Officially, it was said to be a 'war against corruption'... but in reality, it was an operation to sideline all his powerful rivals in one go!
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Among them was one of the world's richest men, Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal! Also among them was the powerful head of the National Guard...
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and the son of the former king, Prince Mutaib bin Abdullah! All of them were imprisoned for several weeks...
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It was reported that they were pressured to deposit a large portion of their wealth into the national treasury and swear an oath of loyalty to MBS!
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These weren't just arrests; this was a message! To the entire Saudi elite that there is now only one boss...
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and his name is Mohammed bin Salman! Now, anyone who criticized the policy even slightly was thrown in jail...
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It was as if it was clearly stated: either praise us or stay silent... otherwise, the consequences will be severe!
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And we saw the most terrifying example of his iron grip in October 2018... almost 2,500 kilometers away from Riyadh, in Istanbul!
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Istanbul is a city of joy but this Saudi journalist was facing a serious problem...
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He needed some documents for his wedding but he couldn't go to Saudi Arabia... because he would have been arrested there for writing against Mohammed bin Salman!
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But the work had to be done, He contacted the Saudi consulate in Istanbul... and was summoned on October 2, 2018!
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But at the same time, a call was also made to Riyadh... that the man is coming on October 2nd!
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The journalist's name was: Jamal Khashoggi. A columnist for Middle East Eye and The Washington Post, and the editor-in-chief of Al-Arab News!
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But his real identity was being a critic of MBS... which is why he lived in the United States!
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So, on October 2, 2018, he entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul... never to come out again!
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His Turkish fiancée reported that Jamal had gone to the consulate for some work... but the whole day passed, he didn't come back out!
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CCTV footage showed him going in but no one saw him coming out! Where did Jamal go? Swallowed by the earth or consumed by the sky?
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Saudi and Turkish intelligence began their investigation... but no clue was found! And then, several days later, Turkish intelligence made a revelation...
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a horrific revelation that shook the world! That Jamal Khashoggi had been brutally murdered inside the consulate...
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The details of this murder that emerged are so horrific, so dangerous, that I cannot tell you them here!....
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In short, after killing him, his body was disposed of and no part of it was left behind!
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But who did this inside a consulate? ... This was the work of a 15-member Death Squad sent from Saudi Arabia, which had arrived in Istanbul from Riyadh on a chartered flight that very day...
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specifically for this task! This squad included: very close guards of Mohammed bin Salman! At first, the Saudi government lied...
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but then the story changed, not once but several times... and finally, they admitted that Jamal Khashoggi was murdered...
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but they claimed it was a "rogue operation," of which MBS knew nothing! Whatever it was the result was that...
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Saudi Arabia faced immense embarrassment worldwide... and a stain was left on MBS's enlightened image that will probably never be erased!
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Moreover, intelligence reports suggest that it seems the direct order for this murder was given by MBS himself!
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What is the truth? Perhaps we will never know... or maybe a few decades later when we look back at history, everything will be as clear as glass!
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Anyway, on one hand, MBS had this Iron Grip at home... and on the other, he had a passion to establish dominance over the entire region!
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And this is where we see MBS's foreign policy! Since Mohammed bin Salman has been in power...
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his foreign policy has been very aggressive... He wants to make Saudi Arabia the leader of the region...
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but his major decisions have often been made in haste... like his first major mistake, the war in Yemen!
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In 2015, as the newly appointed Minister of Defense, he started a war against the Houthis in Yemen!
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He thought they would be finished in a few weeks, but this war became a quagmire for him!
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Years have passed billions of dollars have been sunk Yemen is devastated, but the Houthis are still there, in fact, more powerful than before, and now they are even challenging the US and Israel!
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Yemen's current stance and actions on the issue of Palestine have given them a lot of popularity in the Muslim world!
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Furthermore, they are playing their part in changing the power dynamics of the region after the Iran-Israel war!
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And Saudi Arabia can do nothing about them... which is why this war is considered MBS's biggest military and political failure!
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And that's not all he made another major mistake boycotting Qatar! He thought a small country like Qatar would kneel in a few days...
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but Qatar did not bow, and after three and a half years, Saudi Arabia had to back down!
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In fact, by hosting the 2022 Football World Cup, Qatar has built a magnificent image for itself worldwide!
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After these failures, we see a shift in MBS's foreign policy, a maturity! The war in Yemen taught him that a policy of confrontation in the region will never succeed!
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That's why, in 2023, with China's help, he restored diplomatic relations with his biggest enemy, Iran!
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This was a masterstroke, a move that no one was expecting, but it shows that MBS has the ability to learn from his mistakes and can make difficult decisions in the interest of the region!
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Perhaps this was the reality check that is causing MBS's mega-projects to return to their original scale!
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The NEOM project 'The Line' has now been significantly scaled back... where the target was to settle 1.5 million people by 2030...
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it has now been reduced to just 300,000... and instead of 170 kilometers, the focus is on constructing only 2.4 kilometers!
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This also shows that dreaming big is one thing, but fulfilling it is a completely different and major challenge!
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Now, what will the future hold? Let's see! Today, once again, Mohammed bin Salman faces a major challenge...
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Today's Middle East is changing very rapidly... After Donald Trump's potential return to power in the US, it has become a very hostile region...
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The war between Iran and Israel has changed everything... What will be the future of Saudi Arabia in these circumstances?
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Nothing can be said for sure but whatever happens it will reveal who the real MBS is.
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A reformer a dreamer or a ruthless king who considers power to be everything? Whatever he may be, at this moment, it seems that there is only one word that decodes his entire personality...
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and that is "Disruptor"! He is someone who overturns everything, who erases centuries... a person who desires to change everything!
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This is the real face of MBS, he does not accept the status quo... and he cannot wait, he wants results, and he wants them now!
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And for his purpose, he can break every rule and every tradition! Now, will this be good or bad for Saudi Arabia?
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Where will it take the country? History will be its judge! What do you think? What is your opinion about Mohammed bin Salman?
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Do let us know in the comments... If you liked the video, then like, share, and for more such videos, don't forget to subscribe to Dareecha
Topics:Mohammed bin SalmanSaudi ArabiaMBSSaudi Crown PrinceRitz-Carlton RiyadhSaudi politicsArab SpringSaudi successionYemen warJamal Khashoggi
