About five years ago I wrote this in a Sitrep:

SAUDI ARABIA. The visit of Salman bin Abdulaziz was pretty significant I think. The deal on the petrodollar was that Riyadh would insist on USD for payment in return for protection. Because Washington’s wars in the MENA have only made Iran stronger, Riyadh cannot think the deal is working out and it may be looking for a new sponsor: it happened before when Abdulaziz switched from London to Washington. My thoughts here. I believe that the sale of S-400 air defence systems could be a geopolitical gamechanger. Another of Moscow’s strengths is that it talks to everybody: and so it has offered to mediate between Riyadh and Tehran. Because Washington takes sides, it is useless should Riyadh want to negotiate its way out of messes with its neighbours. “The success of the Euro-Asian triptych is based on the essential principle of transforming enemies into neutral players, neutral players into allies, and further improving relations with allied nations.” Slowly, patiently, bit by bit the long game is played.

So what do we have now? About to join BRICS; diplomatic relations with Iran; Mandarin lessons in schools; Renminbi in oil transactions is coming. Sounds as if history has restarted.

I don’t pretend to know much about the Saud family enterprise, but I’ve always suspected that there’s a council of elders or something like that in the background. If so, I wonder if they looked around and decided that, of all the descendants, MBS was the most like his grandfather.

A remarkable man; I recommend this biography.

And finally, who’s the dominant man in this photo?