Probably the beat of events in Riyadh last week was faster than ever. Often described as a quiet and calm capital, Riyadh topped the agendas of news agencies and political commentators last week.
Fresh blood was injected in Saudi institutions, mainly in the new Cabinet, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman recently appointed. These designations come after a series of quick decisions to organize the internal ruling house backed by the Council of Allegiance.
King Salman is a decisive leader and closer circles say he can make strong and fast decisions soon as he is convinced of their value and importance to people. In a remarkable move, he poured SR110 billion into the Saudi economy by giving a two-month salary bonus for civil servants, students, people with special needs and people receiving welfare as well as payments for charitable societies and housing projects.
These decisions will positively influence the national economy as experts expect them to revive the economic cycle by 70-80 percent, and send a message of reassurance to citizens that the state has their comfort as its top priority, regardless of the challenges such as the drop in oil prices and the accompanying negative expectations. Clearly, Riyadh's confidence stems from its massive oil reserves, that allow the state to focus on the internal investment, improve the cost of living and implement infrastructure projects.
An organizational important decision that will make a qualitative shift in the cabinet’s work is establishing two new councils. The first is the Council for Political and Security Affairs, which will be chaired by Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Naif, second deputy premier and interior minister, and will consist of nine members; the foreign minister, National Guard minister, Islamic affairs minister, culture and information minister, ministers of state, and Chief of General Intelligence as the only non-ministerial body, yet it has a close tie to the political and security work in the state.
This council is expected to have a major role in the Saudi decision-making as a reference in political decisions and military and security plans. It merges decision makers in politics and economy in one body within the grand executive authority in the state, the council of ministers. Such a method, implemented by many governments around the world, guarantees a faster pace of work and creates a sense of harmony, thus empowering the role of the council of ministers, guaranteeing their access to decisions as well as supporting their team work.
In this regard, dismantling the national security council will help decrease bureaucracy and prevent authority conflicts.
The other equally important council is the Council for Economic and Development Affairs which is directly connected to the needs and interests of citizens. The council will be chaired by Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the defense minister, head of the Royal Court and King Salman’s special adviser.
Institutionalizing the Council of ministers will definitely improve its efficiency, ensuring that decisions will be studied with enough time before being finalized and implemented.
Restructuring the government is a needed move, particularly in light of the economic situation and the growing competition in the development and economic performance around the world.
King Salman not only sought a comprehensive change in the government, he proved that restructuring the state’s work is the key, especially after canceling 12 councils dealing with education and oil, among others, to guarantee harmony in governmental decisions.
The King’s decrees were marked with speed, clarity and decisiveness, mostly due to his long experience as one of the pillars of the Saudi ruling system for more than five decades in various capacities.
Saudi Arabia is moving toward a new phase of political and developmental work and the government reshuffle indicates a decisive and strong beginning, an important step in the long and difficult path to modernize the nation and to achieve the reforms Saudis have long waited for.
