 The newly appointed monarch, 81-year-old Crown Prince Abdullah, has been the kingdom's effective ruler for 10 years and is the main force behind unprecedented reform steps and a two-year crackdown on al-Qaida-linked militants. Abdullah, now officially king, will likely try to move his allies into key positions and push forward on reform and anti-terror tracks. But he must tread carefully: A clan of his half brothers in Saudi Arabia's sprawling royal family hold key defense and security posts and may resist swift change. Sticking to tradition, Abdullah immediately appointed his half brother, Defense Minister Prince Sultan, 77, as his crown prince and successor.
| Abdullah's 81 — that beard's all Grecian Formula. Sultan, next up in the barrel, is either 77, as the article states, or 80 — I'm pretty sure he's a year younger than Abdullah. Nayef's a spring chicken at 72 or thereabouts. All three will probably be dead ten years from now, and an actuary would guess that two out of the three will be long dead. |
 That move keeps the throne among the sons of Abdul-Aziz, the founder of modern Saudi Arabia. But while Abdullah and Sultan appear in good health, the advancing age of their generation means the next — made up of dozens of Western-educated, technology-savvy princes — is already wrangling over the line of succession. Abdullah may find himself in a behind-the-scenes contest to maneuver his sons into position, while the close-knit circle of his half brothers, including Prince Sultan, the powerful interior minister, and the governor of Riyadh, does the same. The circle of brothers — known as the Sudeiri Seven, after their mother — have long dominated the main positions in the kingdom. Sultan and others in the Sudeiri Seven are seen as somewhat more resistant to change, with stronger links to the hard-line Islamic clerical establishment. The choice of Sultan is a sign that deep-rooted reform — which diplomats and analysts say is the only way the ruling Al Saud dynasty can ensure its survival — has been placed on the back burner as Abdullah pursues change at his own pace. |
