Global Geo-political Series: President Trump underpins support for Saudi crackdown; pushes for Aramco listing on NYSE

President Trump has thrown his support behind the Saudi Royals as well as behind the recent crackdown within the Al-Saud dynasty that has seen scores of Prince, high-level officers, and incumbent ministers getting arrested. Saudi Arabia’s crown prince Mohammad bin-Salman, who replaced his elder cousin Mohammad bin-Nayef to become next in line to the throne after his father King Salman by a royal decree has further tightened his grip on power as the newly formed anti-corruption committee arrests 11 princes, several senior officials and incumbent ministers. The king had decreed the creation of a powerful new anti-corruption committee, headed by the crown prince, only hours before the committee ordered the arrests.

Two princes have been killed since the crackdown begun. Prince Mansour bin-Muqrin died in a helicopter crash near Yemen border, while Prince Abdul Aziz bin Fahd, the youngest son of former king Faud died in a shootout during an arrest attempt. The arrestees include Billionaire investor Prince Alwaleed bin-Talal, who was involved in a tweeter feud with president Trump calling him a disgrace and called for him to drop out of the race during the 2016 election. In response, Trump called Talal a dopey price, looking to buy U.S. politicians with daddy’s money and stressed that it is not going to happen when he will be President.

In response to the recent crackdown, Trump tweeted, “I have great confidence in King Salman and the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, they know exactly what they are doing.....Some of those they are harshly treating have been “milking” their country for years!”

Under Trump administration, the relation between the United States and Saudi Arabia improved substantially over the former’s hard stance against Saudi Arabia’s regional rival Iran. Trump received a royal welcome during his visit to the Kingdom, the most lavish and grand by any measure to ever bestow to any U.S. President.

Earlier this week, in a tweet, President Trump pitched for the prized Saudi Aramco IPO listing. Saudi Arabia has been looking to list the state-owned oil giant Saudi Aramco and Trump urged the Saudi government to consider a listing in the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) saying, “Would very much appreciate Saudi Arabia doing their IPO of Aramco with the New York Stock Exchange. Important to the United States!”