Salman bin Abd al-Aziz, the king of balance

Salman bin Abd al-Aziz, who ascended to the Saudi throne on 22 January, has been active in the kingdom's politics since he first took on official roles in the 1950s.

He has consistently remained at the centre of events through his position as governor of Riyadh, a metropolitan city considered to be almost a state within a state. He has also played a strong societal role through his connections with the religious establishment and social, cultural and media bodies.

However, over the past four years, he has been even closer to the centre of power. He has seen the demise through illness of two of his elder brothers - his main allies - Crown Prince Sultan (d. November 2011) and Crown Prince Nayef (d. July 2012).

And as King Abdullah's health deteriorated in recent weeks, Salman remained by his side as a pivotal figure in the kingdom's decision-making process.

The past four years have been seen by some observers as a transitional period in which power slowly moved from the hands of the eldest sons of the kingdom's founder, King Abd al-Aziz, to the younger generation of princes.

Therefore, Salman is seen as a transitional leader with the necessary knowledge of the kingdom's internal situation and the ability to strike the correct balance within the ruling family to steer the country away from division.

Despite his age and known heart condition, Salman has a reputation for his youthful outlook and for being the most open among the older generation over the inclusion of the younger princes.

Furthermore, his close relationship with the country's religious establishment and his traditional upbringing have not prevented him from establishing links with liberal circles and cautiously expressing reformist ideas.

A Wikileaks cable mentions that in 2007, Salman expressed his views on King Abdullah's reforms - saying they needed to be slow and gradual so as not to provoke a conservative backlash. This does not necessarily mean that he himself is conservative [within Saudi circles], as he is also known for having a wide network of friendships within Saudi Arabia and other countries with intellectuals of various political leanings.

Salman is seen as a transitional leader with... the ability to strike the correct balance within the ruling family to steer the country away from division.

Through his supervision of Al-Sharq al-Awsat, the newspaper that is partly owned by his sons, Salman played a role in modernising Saudi media, and he is credited with developing the skills of generations of Saudi journalists who now occupy leading roles within state-owned and private media in the country.

A Saudi opposition source described Salman as a pragmatist able to combine contradictions. For example, while he is known for his support of the religious police, he has shown understanding towards calls to break with old customs - such as allowing women to drive.

However, his overtures to "reformists" have been limited over the past two years and the majority of his positions have been more in line with his traditionalist persona.

Since 2006, Prince Salman has headed the The Descendants’ Council [the Majlis al-Uthra, sometimes called the Family Council). This body is made up of 18 princes, half of whom are sons of the kingdom's founder, the other half their descendants.

It is charged with organising Saud family affairs and does not officially have a political role. But, in reality, the Council plays an important part in major issues and decision-making.

Prince Salman's strengths in this position were threefold: his position in the family - as a respected peacemaker able to reconcile the clan's various factions and mediate disputes; his age - between the generation of fathers and sons, enabling him to be close to both generations on a social and cultural level; and his location in Riyadh - the kingdom's centre of political and economic activity, enabling him to build a wide network of relations on both the regional and international levels.

Reassurance and uncertainty

Salman's ascent to power has reassured younger people in the kingdom to an extent, but it is also perceived as heralding something of a waiting game.

When he became defence minister in November 2011, Salman ushered in a new era at the ministry in several respects. He rationalised the kingdom's massive military spending and limited the policy of "commission payments", which had provoked outrage in the international press.

There is limited optimism that Salman will apply the same management style now he has become king.

He is seen as flexible, pragmatic and accessible. And his connections among the kingdom's "liberal" circles have represented something of a bridge for people calling for reforms and a degree of democratic participation.

However, reforms have not gone as far as anticipated. In fact, there is a widespread view among liberal circles in the kingdom that Salman has acted in the past couple of years to decelerate the reform process initiated by King Abdullah.

There is a view in liberal circles that Salman has acted in the past couple of years to decelerate the reform process initiated by Abdullah.

Nonetheless, some observers believe that the reform process will be relaunched now that Salman is king, simply because of the urgency of the issue, and the need for mediation between the kingdom's traditionalist and modernist camps.

Whatever Salman's role at the time, there is a widespread belief among observers that the latter years of Abdullah's reign saw a degree of stagnation and obscurity in terms of policy direction, with the deaths of Prince Sultan and Prince Nayef and the king's own deteriorating health.

Salman must now take on the responsibility of steering the kingdom through a phase of policy transition.

No one expects any radical departures in foreign policy from King Abdullah's stance, though perhaps Salman will reinvigorate Saudi Arabia's foreign relations to a degree.

But as far as the internal political situation is concerned, expectations are different.

His rule is expected to reflect his character and his intellectual and cultural stances. While he was governor of Riyadh, the city was transformed into a modern metropolis, while at the same time maintaining much of its old heritage.

Will Salman be able to advance the whole kingdom in similar fashion?
 
This article is an edited translation from our Arabic edition.