Saudi purge: Arab Spring 2.0?

The removal of 11 top ministers in the Riyadh government last week by the young crown prince Mohammad bin Salman, is a geopolitical upheaval, the implications are serious. Domestically, the kingdom is seeking to liberalise its conservative society and move away from oil-dependency – evident from the expected listing of its crown jewel Aramco. For India, which imports oil largely from West Asia, instability could cause a spike in prices, leaving less for its ambitious reforms. Globally, there is now space for new alignments – in the Great Power plays, in the Shia-Sunni rivalry, and in the war on terrorism.

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The removal of 11 top ministers in the Riyadh government last week by the young crown prince Mohammad bin Salman, is a geopolitical earthquake.

The implications of the Saudi upheaval are serious. Domestically, for the first time in its history the kingdom is seeking to liberalise its conservative society and move away from being an oil-dependent economy – evident from the on-going process of listing of its crown jewel Aramco internationally. For India, which is oil-dependent and imports largely from West Asia, instability could cause a spike in oil prices, leaving less for Delhi’s ambitious reforms programme. Globally, this creates opportunities for new alignments – in the Great Power plays, in the Shia-Sunni rivalry, and in the war on terrorism.

Watch the Gateway House analysis of the political upheaval in Saudi Arabia, what it means for India and for the world.

Sameer Patil is Fellow, National Security Studies and Director, Center for International Security, Gateway House

Amit Bhandari is Fellow, Energy & Environment Studies, Gateway House.

Manjeet Kripalani is Co-founder and Executive Director, Gateway House: Indian Council on Global Relations, and is the former India Bureau Chief of Businessweek magazine.

This video and infographic was exclusively created for Gateway House: Indian Council on Global Relations. You can read more exclusive content here.

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