Saudi coup: prince calls for regime change in Riyadh

A senior Saudi prince has launched an audacious bid for change in the country's leadership, according to The Guardian.

The prince, one of the dozens of grandsons of the state's founder, Abdulaziz Ibn Saud, claims there is widespread frustration over the leadership of King Salman, who assumed the throne in January.

"The king is not in a stable condition and in reality the son of the king [Mohammed bin Salman] is ruling the kingdom," claimed the prince, who is unnamed for security reasons.

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He has written two letters calling on the 13 surviving sons of Ibn Saud to unite and remove the leadership in a spectacular palace coup.

The first letter encourages the sons to "find out what can be done to save the country, to make changes in the important ranks, to bring in expertise from the ruling family whatever generation they are from".

Although the prince behind the letters claims he has widespread backing from within the royal family and from the wider Saudi society, only one other senior royal has so far publicly endorsed the letters.

Given the regime's brutal crackdowns on dissent, it is unlikely that many will openly endorse the notes, which are the most rebellious act since King Faisal deposed King Saud in a palace coup in 1964, says The Guardian.

The Saudi regime is currently in a vulnerable position. Two recent tragedies in Mecca – the collapse of a crane that killed more than 100 people, and last week's stampede that killed at least 700 pilgrims – have shaken the public, raising concern over safety at the holiest site in Islam.

Meanwhile, the price of oil – the Saudis' favourite commodity – has dropped more than 50 per cent in the past year. According to the Financial Times, Saudi Arabia has withdrawn as much as $70bn (£46bn) from overseas investment funds to shore up its finances in the face of tumbling oil prices.

The Saudi benchmark Tadawul All Share index has fallen by more than 30 per cent in the past 12 months, and the International Monetary Fund is already predicting Saudi Arabia's budget deficit to exceed $107bn this year.

The prince believes that all of this has led to an appetite for fundamental change. "The public are also pushing this very hard, all kinds of people, tribal leaders," he said. "They say you have to do this or the country will go to disaster."