Date: Jun 22, 2018 Source: The Daily Star A year of change with Riyadh’s MBS Agence France Presse RIYADH: Mohammad bin Salman became crown prince of Saudi Arabia a year ago, shaking up the ultraconservative oil power. Here is a rundown of developments over the past 12 months: Crown prince at 31In a royal decree issued on June 21, 2017, King Salman ousts his nephew as crown prince and installs his 31-year-old son as his heir. Widely known as MBS, Prince Mohammad retains his role as defense minister. The move caps a meteoric rise for the young prince. It comes at the start of a major fallout with Qatar: Riyadh and three Arab allies severe ties with Doha the same month, accusing it of supporting “terrorists” and being too close to Saudi Arabia’s archrival Iran. Qatar denies the charges. Royal purgeOver several days in September 2017, authorities round up at least 20 people, including influential preachers and intellectuals, in what is condemned as a crackdown on dissent by the crown prince. Around 380 royals, ministers and business tycoons are then arrested in November in a dramatic purge led by Prince Mohammad that the government says is a move against corruption. Many are held for weeks in the Riyadh Ritz-Carlton Hotel. Most are released after agreeing significant financial settlements.ReformsThe monarchy ends the world’s only ban on female drivers by announcing in September 2017 that they will be able to take the wheel from June 2018. It is the most striking of a series of reforms since the installation of Prince Mohammad, who is also the architect of a wide-ranging plan for social and economic change, called Vision 2030, that is approved before his appointment. Other reforms include reopening cinemas and allowing both sexes to attend concerts. But Saudi women remain under various restrictions and the authorities are accused of continuing crackdowns on rights activists. Crisis in LebanonIn November 2017, Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri announces in a televised address from Riyadh that he is resigning, citing Iran’s “grip” on his country. Saudi Arabia is accused of forcing his hand to make a stand against the influence of Iran and its ally in Lebanon, Hezbollah. Hariri, supported by Saudi Arabia for years, spends two weeks in Riyadh amid speculation he cannot leave, until France intervenes and he withdraws his resignation. Yemen warThe crown prince in November 2017 accuses Iran of “direct military aggression” by supplying ballistic missiles to rebels in Yemen. Days before, Saudi forces intercepted a ballistic missile near Riyadh international airport that was fired by the rebels. Riyadh entered the Yemeni conflict in 2015 as part of a military coalition supporting the government against the Iran-allied Houthi rebels. Nuclear IranPrince Mohammad says in March 2018 that if Iran develops a nuclear weapon, Riyadh will do so too. In an interview with CBS television, he also likens Tehran’s supreme leader with Hitler, saying the Iranian “wants to create his own project in the Middle East.” Riyadh holds deep reservations over the 2015 accord aimed at controlling Iran’s nuclear ambitions and hails President Donald Trump’s announcement in May that the U.S. is withdrawing from the deal. Charm offensiveIn March the prince embarks on his first foreign tour as heir, visiting Egypt and Britain, where he lunches with Queen Elizabeth II, and spending around two weeks in the U.S., where he meets Trump and other political and industry leaders. He also goes to France and Spain. Opening with IsraelIn what appeared to be another shift, Prince Mohammad says in an interview in April that Israelis as well as Palestinians “have the right to have their own land.” King Salman later reaffirms Riyadh’s “steadfast” support for the Palestinian cause.