A major shift in power took place early last month in Saudi Arabia, when 11 princes and 38 other top figures in the kingdom, including ministers, military officers, and influential businessmen, were arrested in a corruption probe. The crackdown will test whether the desert kingdom can bring about a peaceful transfer of power, and cast off a radical ideology that has influenced its relations with the United States.
A new anti-corruption committee led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman carried out the arrests beginning on Nov. 4, with more than 500 eventually rounded up. The targeted top officials and members of the royal family are reputed to be fabulously wealthy, with superyachts, jets, and hundreds of cars, and were previously believed to be above the law.
