By Jameel Al-Theyabi
WHAT can be said about the TV interview of Deputy Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman, second deputy premier and minister of defense? Has everything been said? What have people said in their public gatherings and private meetings? Has he convinced them with his talk about the hot issues?
The themes of the interview can be divided into three categories: social and local issues, regional and international political subjects and economic and investment topics.
The Deputy Crown Prince has covered all the issues that Saudi citizens are keen to know about. He is handling all the important files relating to the lives of Saudis and the future of their country, particularly economic affairs, development and defense.
The answers of Prince Muhammad to the questions asked by Dawood Al-Shirayan in his program “Eight” on MBC were sufficient replies to a number of contemporary issues of deep concern to citizens.
Though the issues raised in the interview were varied, focus was put on those that impact upon the success of Vision 2030 and a change in the nation’s economic structure. The economy should shift from depending on oil as a main source of income to a diversified economy by increasing non-oil exports. Prince Muhammad made it very clear in his interview that the wealth of Saudi Arabia is for Saudi citizens and will remain to be so.
There is no doubt that corruption is a main concern these days, especially after the replacement of the former Minister of Civil Affairs. A special committee was constituted to investigate the violations the minister committed before he was relieved of his position. This move was taken by the Saudi leadership to protect integrity and honesty, and Prince Muhammad was very clear and decisive when he said that no one, whether minister or prince, would escape punishment if he was indicted in a corruption case.
This means that the government is completely against corruption and will not tolerate it. The government’s war against corruption will continue unabated.
No one will be exempted in cases of corruption, whether he is an ordinary employee, a minister or even a prince of the royal family.
Prince Muhammad also opened fire on the media of the Muslim Brotherhood that he accused of circulating lies to weaken the Saudi-Egyptian relationship.
He described the relationship between Saudi Arabia and Egypt as very strong despite the attempts of those who are trying to sabotage it.
What Prince Muhammad said about the Muslim Brotherhood media reminds us of what late Crown Prince Naif said about them. He said that the Muslim Brothers were the source of all evils. He said that they caused the Kingdom a lot of problems and that they tried to cut off the arm that was extended to help them at a time when no one else would support them. This is a clear indication that the Kingdom will not budge on its decision to label the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization.
It is noteworthy to remember that Prince Muhammad was a member of the delegation that accompanied Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman on his historic visit to Egypt last year where he witnessed the signing of a number of cooperation agreements and MoUs between the two countries.
In the MBC interview, the Deputy Crown Prince revealed a tripartite plan to resolve the issue of housing through providing free houses, homes that will be built by soft loans from the Real Estate Development Fund and government houses to be sold at low prices with payment facilities.
He said that the government would provide financial assistance to about 10 million out of 12 million Saudis through the Citizens Account. This statement has triggered hope and optimism in the hearts of a large number of Saudis.
The Deputy Crown Prince was extremely honest in admitting the weakness of the services being provided by the Kingdom with regard to the international trade that is passing through the Red Sea. This means that we have been ignoring an important source of income that can generate revenue if we give it more concern and make efforts to develop it. To benefit from the international trade in the Red Sea we have to modernize and develop a number of our seaports.
Prince Muhammad’s comments are in line with the Kingdom’s ambitions to revive the Silk Road with China and to construct King Salman’s bridge between the Kingdom and Egypt, which will link together the three continents of Asia, Africa and Europe.
Prince Muhammad made very clear that there would be no negotiations with Iran. This is not because of obstinacy on the part of the Kingdom but because of Iran’s antagonistic attitudes.
He said that Iran was still expecting Al-Mahdi Al-Muntazar (the Awaited Imam Mahdi) to come back to control the entire Islamic world. “This very logic closes all doors for dialogue with Iran. There will be no negotiations with a country which is of a diehard theological ideology,” he said. Prince Muhammad also said that previous experience has shown that Iran does not respect its promises or pledges.
Concerning Iran’s intervention in Yemen, Prince Muhammad stressed that the Kingdom is capable of uprooting the Houthis and the forces of the defunct President Ali Abdullah Saleh in a matter of a few days, and would have already done so if it had not been for the fear of endangering the lives of civilians on both sides.
There is no doubt that Prince Muhammad, who is the minister of defense, is aware of the minute details of Iran’s intervention in Yemen and knows very well how to put an immediate end to it. He also knows how to get rid of the puppets that Iran is using to destabilize Yemen and the Arab Gulf region.
Lastly, Prince Muhammad expressed his appreciation for the Saudi media, which is undertaking a role in the process of reform and change. He gave an interview to our colleague Turki Al-Dakheel on Al-Arabiyah news which was watched by many people, and he also gave another colleague Dawood Al-Shirayan an important interview.
I hope that next time he will give an interview to a Saudi newspaper, especially after he has already talked to a number of Western newspapers and TV channels. We are ready for this interview, which will be different as Prince Muhammad is a leader who speaks candidly and answers all questions. He does not evade any question no matter how difficult it may be.
The journey of reform and change that the Kingdom has started requires men who believe in deep studies, thorough planning and flexible implementation.
We have hope that the Kingdom will be among the top countries of the world especially as Deputy Crown Prince Muhammad had said that only the “sky is the limit of Saudi ambition”.
— The author is the editor-in-chief of Okaz.
