New regime, new rules
Saudi Arabia had a very active year. On the 23rd of January, King Salman bin Abdulaziz al Saud will mark the first anniversary of his reign. In this first year, King Salman and his administration have proven an extremely active governing force, determined to pursue its goals at any cost. This determination has led to a string of foreign entanglements, financial obligations, and has the Gulf kingdom courting controversy at a greater rate that any point in its history. Human rights have often been a sticking point in foreign criticism of the regime. The induction of Saudi Arabia into a key role at the head of a UN Human Rights Council panel provoked the ire of many, in a year where the Kingdom’s executions rose to 157, the highest level for twenty years. Internal affairs were not the only controversial point of King Salman’s reign.
International influence
In 2015, Saudi Arabia had a most interventionist year. Military incursions in other countries have been a hallmark of King Salman’s role, prompted mostly by his son. Prince Mohammed bin Salman is the 35-year-old son of King Salman, deputy crown prince, and, somewhat controversially, the Minister of Defence. The promotion of the inexperienced Prince Mohammed to a key post has caused rifts within the Saud royal family, with an anonymous letter denouncing his overzealous involvement in foreign affairs. The most controversial of such foreign excursions is the war in Yemen.
A regional war
As conflict in Yemen enters its fifth year, Saudi Arabia’s involvement has created an indelible footprint. What began with regime change following Arab Spring protests, erupted into an armed uprising by a Houthi militia, and a regional conflict that counts Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Iran, and Jordan among its belligerents. The Saudi military actions in the state have caused conflict within the ruling family, and ignited controversy around the world. The high civilian death toll, which is slated to be a staggering 93% of all deaths, is a major point of criticism. At the last count, 400 children are counted among the fallen. Saudi Arabia’s quest for influence extends beyond military intervention – it has extended to strong financial support of foreign nations. The latest is Morocco.
Morocco’s military
It was announced that in December of 2015, the two kingdoms signed an agreement for military and technical cooperation between the two armed forces. The culmination of this new cooperation is the transfer of some $22bn in military aid to Morocco from Saudi Arabia, for the commencement of a military industrial project. Saudi Arabia’s renewed interest in North Africa may begin to cause alarm. With military coalitions in the Middle East, this may be seen as first step for Saudi Arabia to begin an armed offensive in North Africa. King Salman’s Saudi Arabia will continue to launch international endeavours. 2016, it seems, will be as interventionist as 2015, with the consequences likely to send shockwaves throughout the MENA region – and the world.
