Due to the illness of 86-year-old King Salman bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia, 36-year-old Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman has become the uncrowned king of the kingdom.
Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s rise to prominence as a champion of moderate Islam is being hailed worldwide, while Prince Mohammed has been considered the real leader since his appointment as heir to the throne in June 2017. More importantly, their engagement and parallel role of him is being acknowledged by the national and international media, and no significant reason has been given by the Saudi authorities for the absence of King Salman bin Abdulaziz on important occasions.
Religious circles in Pakistan are deeply concerned about Saudi Arabia’s banning of the Tablighi Jamaat as a terrorist, but it is noteworthy that the movement was not allowed to operate independently in Saudi Arabia before and now there are reports that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is moving towards a liberal and secular state that would destroy the religious identity of Saudi Arabia, the center of the Islamic world.
The changes that have taken place in Saudi Arabia have not happened suddenly in a month, a week, a day, or a night, but are all part of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 and since he became Crown Prince, such changes have slowly begun to take root in the Saudi environment.
It is clear that there are many more changes to come, and we will see in the future how Saudi Arabia will be transformed. The nation that was once known for its Mecca, Medina, and Islamic traditions will be known for its enlightenment over the years.
On the one hand, the climate in Saudi Arabia is changing, and on the other hand, The country’s state media is constantly trying to gauge public reaction by publishing reports advocating for Riyadh’s closer ties with Israel.
In the 1948 war, Saudi Arabia fought side by side with the Palestinian people, and later Saudi Arabia provided employment to thousands of Palestinians. Together with Egypt, Saudi Arabia played a historic role in balancing the defeat in the 1967 war. The nations of the region cannot forget the statement of King Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud in which he said that he could be a martyr for Al Quds but today Saudi Arabia is moving towards surrender to Israel.
There was a time when Saudi Arabia used to build mosques all over the world. The Faisal Mosque in Islamabad is a masterpiece, but the Saudi government has decided to build a cinema. By 2030, new cinemas will create 30,000 new jobs in the Saudi economy and add 90 billion to the Saudi economy.
Critics of Saudi rulers’ new policy say Saudi Arabia itself has become enlightened by putting religion on guard. According to Arab media, under the leadership of Prince Muhammad bin Salman, Saudi Arabia is now entering a new era of enlightenment.
