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Conservative Crown Prince Naif bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Has Died
(Jakarta Post) – Nayef’s death unexpectedly reopens the question of succession in this crucial U.S. ally and oil powerhouse for the second time in less than a year. The 88-year-old King Abdullah has now outlived two designated successors, despite ailments of his own. Now a new crown prince must be chosen from among his brothers and half-brothers, all the sons of Saudi Arabia’s founder, Abdul-Aziz.
The figure believed most likely to be tapped as the new heir is Prince Salman, the current defense minister who previously served for decades in the powerful post of governor of Riyadh, the capital.
Crown prince
Nayef bin Abdulaziz was appointed Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia and First Deputy Prime Minister by King Abdullah on October 27, 2011, five days after the death of his full brother, Prince Sultan.
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It is argued that mainly three factors were taken into consideration while selecting him as a crown prince. The first one is that Prince Nayef solidly attempts to suppress domestic opposition with an iron fist, including the challenge posed by al Qaeda. The second factor is related to his conservative personality, indicating his close relationship with the clerical establishment in Saudi Arabia. The last factor is his cordial relations with foreign Muslim Brotherhood groups that are considered to gain power in the new societies created as a result of “Arab spring”. Therefore, Prince Nayef seems to be the right person to lead Saudi Arabia into integration with this dominant trend occurred recently.
Views
Prince Nayef is considered to be one of the most conservative persons in the Al Saud family. He views the potential erosion of the official Wahhabi-Salafi doctrine as a diminishing of the core legitimacy of the state itself and has resisted such moves, not from a pronounced sense of religious devotion, but rather a desire to maintain a firm grip on the levers of state power.
In November 2002, Nayef said, “It is impossible that 19 youths carried out the operation of September 11, or that bin Laden or Al Qaeda did that alone. … I think [the Zionists] are behind these events.” He later proposed that Americans visiting the kingdom should be fingerprinted like visitors to the United States.
Citizens will start pledging allegiance to Crown Prince [29/10/2011 – 02/12/1432 H]
Riyadh, SPA — Today after Asr (afternoon) regular prayer, citizens will start pledging allegiance to Crown Prince Naif bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Deputy Premier and Minister of Interior, in his capacity as new Crown Prince.
Crown Prince Naif bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Deputy Premier and Minister of Interior, will be receiving them at the Governorate headquarters in Riyadh. To make it easy for citizens outside the capital, the Crown Prince has instructed governors of other regions to receive citizens on his behalf on Sunday, the 3rd of Zul-Hijja 1432 H. and accept their pledge of homage.
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."
