The Fight for Succession in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

The article is devoted to the study of the succession problem in Saudi Arabia. Despite the fact that the Arabian monarchies so far remain outside the zone of the “Arab spring”, domestic political and social conflicts, economic problems are escalated here hiding behind the apparent tranquility. Internal political modernization is closely connected with the change of generations in the top leadership. The country is on the verge of changing the succession system that has existed for many decades, in which power passed from one to the other son of the founder of the Saudi state, King Ibn Saud. Today, when there are almost no real candidates for the throne among this group of royal relatives, the third generation of the Saudi family is entering the struggle for power. The influence of the “Khashoggi case” on the course of the struggle for power is analyzed. The forecast part examines the prospects for reforming of Saudi society, the development of partnerships between Russia and the Kingdom.