Dr. Gregory Gause joins us to discuss the rise of Mohammad Bin Salman and the future of Saudia Arabia. Mohammad Bin Salaman (MBS) is the crown prince of Saudi Arabia. He is currently serving as the country’s deputy prime minister, chairman of the Council for Economic and Development Affairs and chairman of the Council of Political and Security Affairs. He is also the minister of defense – the world’s youngest at the time of his appointment. He is seen as the power behind the throne of his father, King Salman. He has led several reforms, which include regulations restricting the powers of the religious police, and lifted the ban on female drivers. His Vision 2030 program aims to diversify the Saudi economy through investment in non-oil sectors including technology and tourism. Despite making progress on domestic reforms, commentators and human rights groups have been vocally critical of his behavior. He is the primary architect of the war in Yemen which has claimed thousands of civilian lives due to indiscriminate bombing campaigns. War-induced famine and the Saudi led blockade has led to Yemen being on brink of starvation. In addition to all this, MBS has allegedly assassinated Washingon Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi bringing him closer to the status of global pariah.With all this negative press what does the future hold for this young crown prince? How did he even consolidate all this power?

Dr.Gregory Gause is the head of Department of International Affairs at the Bush School of Government & Public Service at Texas A&M. Dr. Gause has focused his research on the international politics of the Middle East, with a particular interest in the Arabian Peninsula and the Persian Gulf. He has published three books, the most recent of which is The International Relations of the Persian Gulf (Cambridge University Press, 2010). His articles have appeared in Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, Security Studies, Middle East Journal, and The National Interest, as well as in other journals and edited volumes.

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