Trump praises Saudi corruption purge, claiming targets are 'milking' kingdom
US president tweets ‘great confidence’ in Saudi king and crown prince, but White House stays silent on unprecedented arrests of high-profile figures
Donald Trump has thrown his weight behind an anti-corruption crackdown in Saudi Arabia, claiming that its targets have been “milking” the kingdom for years.
Dozens of high-profile princes, military leaders and ministers were arrested in the weekend purge soon after the creation of anti-graft commission headed by the crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman.
“I have great confidence in King Salman and the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, they know exactly what they are doing,” the US president, who is travelling in Asia, posted on Twitter. “Some of those they are harshly treating have been ‘milking’ their country for years!”
The tweets came days after Trump urged Saudi Arabia to list the first offering of shares in Aramco, one of the world’s most important oil companies, on the New York stock exchange or Nasdaq.
The White House had been silent about the unprecedented arrests, which began on Saturday with little warning or legal process, and were widely seen as a consolidation of power by 32-year-old Crown Prince Mohammed.
Among those detained were Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, one of the world’s richest men, and two of the late King Abdullah’s sons. The Saudi government has described the action as a sweeping effort to combat corruption and hinted that it might widen further.
Background
Prince Mohammed, 32, is the Saudi crown prince and defence minister. He was named as heir to the throne in a June reshuffle by his father, King Salman, that sidelined his older cousin, Prince Mohammed bin Nayef.
Ascent
Prince Mohammed’s profile and powers have soared in recent years under the tutelage of his father, who has given him an almost free hand across most aspects of society. He has consolidated more influence than anyone else in the kingdom, spearheading plans for the privatisation of the state oil company, Aramco, taking charge of the war in Yemen, and leading the way in the move to blockade and isolate Qatar.
Reforms and purge
Since his appointment as crown prince, Prince Mohammed has launched a dizzying series of reforms dubbed Vision 2030, designed to transform the kingdom’s moribund economy and put the relationship between the state and its citizens on a new footing, underpinned by a pledge to “return Saudi Arabia to moderate Islam". On 4 November he led an astonishing corruption purge in which 11 senior princes, one of the country’s richest men and scores of former ministers were arrested. Critics say the purge and his headlong rush to revolutionise is driven by a push for unprecedented power.
Trump has pursued a closer relationship with Saudi Arabia than his predecessor Barack Obama, choosing it in May for his first foreign trip since taking office. The countries announced contracts worth more than $380bn, including a $110bn arms deal aimed at countering perceived threats from Iran and radical Islamists. Prince Mohammed is close to Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law and senior adviser.
Trump spoke with 81-year-old King Salman by phone on Saturday, according to the White House. An official readout of the conversation ended: “The president asked the king to strongly consider listing Aramco on a stock exchange in the United States.
“Additionally, President Trump noted that the king and crown prince’s recent public statements regarding the need to build a moderate, peaceful, and tolerant region are essential to ensuring a hopeful future for the Saudi people, to curtailing terrorist funding, and to defeating radical ideology – once and for all – so the world can be safe from its evil.”
The readout made no mention of the anti-corruption crackdown. The president’s Asia tour moves to South Korea on Tuesday.
