Eighth Saudi crown prince

These are not normal days for Saudi Arabia and the rest of the countries in the region. The question always asked is: How can the shocks be dealt with? The death of Crown Prince Naif came as a surprise and shook up everyone. It was a test for Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah as to how he would deal with the situation and fill the sudden vacuum in the light of regional tensions and surrounding circumstances.
The king surprised us not with his selection of the crown prince, because he has chosen one of the influential and historical pillars; but the way he swiftly settled the matter, which came less than 24 hours after the start of the condolences for Prince Naif’s death. I strongly believe that history will remember King Abdullah as a leader with huge popularity who is decisive and never dithers at decisive moments. In the past few years, he took a number of decisions some of which were difficult, others surprising, and some were taken very swiftly, like the one on Monday when he appointed the new crown prince. As King Abdullah quickly settled the matter, he sent a clear message to the world that the Kingdom is cohesive, strong and stable. He has chosen the 25th son of King Abdul Aziz, the founder, to be the eighth crown prince of the Kingdom.
Prince Salman bin Abdul Aziz, the man the king has chosen to be his crown prince, is one of the most popular personalities in the Arab world. He is an active politician who has toured the world and dealt with many issues at different times and places. Since the 1950s, Prince Salman has been witness to a large number of great historical events. During the following decades, he dealt with the leaders and governments of the region. He was in the picture in Egypt's history and met with all the leaders of the revolution of 1952 including Muhammad Najeeb, the first president, and his successor Jamal Abdul Nasser. He also dealt with a number of complicated Arab and Gulf issues from the start. He was a friend of a number of Lebanese leaders, from Fuad Chehab to Charles Hilo and from Samir Hamid Al-Ouaini and Rashid El-Solh to Rasheed Karami.
We know a politician from his Majlis (council). Prince Salman's Majlis was always replete with important figures from all countries of the region. He had the same spirit and philosophy of his father King Abdul Aziz, who had a famous Majlis in the first half of the 20th century attended by a mixture of Arab nationals including Syrians, Egyptians, Libyans, Iraqis and Palestinians whom he involved in the project of his new Kingdom. I have personally come to know many important and historic personalities in Prince Salman's Majlis including the late thinker Muhammad Assad and journalist, diplomat and politician Ghassan Tuwaini. I do not claim that Prince Salman knows every politician and important man beyond the borders of his country, but I can safely say that he is one of the rare Saudis with complete knowledge about the Kingdom’s tribes, families and regions.
With all this detailed knowledge and rich experience everybody is now assured that the position of crown prince in a country that is the guarantor of stability in the region has been filled by a wise and experienced man. We have to admit that our society knows the system of government through the men who occupy leading positions in the state. This very fact makes us always look for the nature and core of every man who assumes a leading position in our country.
In my opinion, a country like Saudi Arabia, despite its potential, cannot afford to commit mistakes. It is no longer a country under training. It is not true that money is the panacea for all ills. It is also not true that time can heal all wounds. The challenges that face the Saudi rule are not less than those facing other countries. This is why we will look for leaders who have wisdom, experience, responsibility and a deep sense of the past and the present.