Newspaper: Bin Salman’s reforms are merely cosmetic

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman continues his erroneous decisions, which have negative consequences for the Kingdom, and considered these decisions merely cosmetic operations for all that bin Salman and his regime against detainees and opponents.

The British newspaper “i” published an article comparing Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman with Prince Andrew, Duke of York, accused of sexual crimes.

This was stated in an article by Middle East writer Patrick Coburn, entitled “What can the Saudi Crown Prince learn from Prince Andrew?”, And concluded that the latter is less bad than bin Salman.

“At the same time that Andrew was conducting a disastrous interview with the (BBC) bin Salman was listening to representatives of major companies and international banks assure him the failure of his attempt to sell part of Aramco,” he said.

He added: “The Kingdom tried to market the company in the global stock markets for a large amount, while some saw it as an attempt by the Kingdom to use its oil wealth to push itself as a global power.”

In his comparison, the two princes share common qualities. Both are arrogant, disrespectful to their advisers, and making wrong decisions that have bad consequences for their respective histories.

Prince Andrew was notorious for the ramifications of his relationship with US-based billionaire Jeffrey Epstein, who died in suicide last August during his trial of running a sex network with the British Royal Palace.

Epstein was known for his disgraceful conduct between 2002 and 2005, and his close ties to many elites of American society and the world, including US President Donald Trump, former President Bill Clinton, and British Prince Andrew, the son of Queen Elizabeth.

Several charities and organizations announced the withdrawal of ties with the British royal family on the back of the name of the Duke of York in that case.

In addition, another scandal involving Prince Andrew is related to having a sexual relationship with a woman named Virginia Roberts, who said that he had tied her three times when she was a minor.

Despite these scandals against the British prince, Coburn says: “But Prince Andrew’s decisions were limited because of his limited authority outside the circle surrounding him, unlike Crown Prince Salman, who has enjoyed extensive powers since his elderly father took over the kingdom in early 2015. And later became the de facto ruler of the country.”

“What bin Salman called a modernization of the country was just cosmetic surgery,” Coburn said.

One of these operations, he said, is “allowing women to drive cars, which the kingdom has marketed externally, but internally, levels of repression of freedoms have increased,” says Human Rights Watch.

Koburn explained that the organization said in its report issued this month: “Four detainees of Saudi women activists were subjected to torture that includes flogging on their thighs, kissing and forced incubation, electrocution and harassment; as a condition for their release.”