Interview by Maria Sidelnikova, exclusively for Vestnik Kavkaza
The 90-year-old king of Saudi Arabia, Abdullah bin Abdulaziz is dying, and the key country of the Persian Gulf will soon get a new king. Saudi Arabia remains the biggest exporter which controls the oil market; and some experts predict a conflict between the country and the West, which doesn’t want Muslim countries to set the tone in international oil affairs. Vitaly Naumkin, the director of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the RAS, comments on the situation over Saudi Arabia for Vestnik Kavkaza.
- How will a change of leadership in Riyadh influence the situation in the country and the region?
- It will influence it significantly. We cannot predict the result of the internal struggle, which is not hidden to the world today. There is a fight for heritage. Of course, the old sick king is dying and giving his position either to a new generation or to people of his circle. Of course it will influence the whole situation in the Middle East and the world. Saudi Arabia is a major player, and we wish stability and peace for the country. But I repeat there are certain signs of a serious internal struggle; and this is natural for the system in which the country lives.
- There are dozens of legal sons and grandsons of Abdullah. Who can become the new king?
- Candidates are numerous. I should say that there are official candidates, as the family chooses the Crown Prince, there is a deputy Crown Prince, and these people are well-known; today some mass media name emir Mukrin.
However, there is a new generation – the next generation of emirs, young people of the new generation, who strive to rule the country. They have their own ideas about life.
There are various groups of power, various forces. I cannot predict. We wish it would happen peacefully as a result of a consensus, according to the Saudi laws. And I hope there will be peace.
