Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) lives in a big prison. He frequently replaces his guard force and spends the kingdom's resources on new weapons and enemy espionage methods, leaving his people in abject poverty.
According to people with knowledge of the situation, MBS prohibited visits to his father, King Salman, after he experienced an unprecedented decline in health.
Additionally, MBS replaced the king's guards with his supporters and forbade any Allegiance Council members from leaving the country without his prior authorization.
All those who were detained by MBS in 2017 at the Ritz Hotel are forbidden from using any services offered by the Kingdom, including the Absher application and others, and they are not permitted to leave the country unless MBS gives his or her permission.
The sources noted that Turki Al-Sheikh, the head of the Entertainment Authority, suggested to MBS that the Allegiance Council be abolished so that he could rule the Kingdom without challenges or hindrances.
MBS earlier decided to increase his personal bodyguards, pointing out that he created a personal ‘Blackwater’ army.
During Eid prayers, MBS appeared in a royal hall at the Grand Mosque in Mecca under heavy security with bodyguards and very limited attendance from his inner circle.
MBS has lost confidence in his closest people, and he replaced his Saudi bodyguards with members of Blackwater and some Pakistani special forces.
Unprecedented security measures and high security technologies were taken in MBS' palace for fear of any planned attack. The contracts include spending $95 million annually to import the latest Israeli espionage and surveillance technologies to Saudi Arabia.
MBS has hired about 1,000 members of the Pakistani Special Division of the elite forces, according to the sources.
Sources familiar with the matter revealed that members of the royal family expressed in secret conversations their dissatisfaction with MBS' policies.
MBS has strengthened his grip on power after arresting prominent princes and ministers, the sources added, noting that many decisions taken since he took office in June 2017 sparked widespread anger within the ruling family.
Intelligence reports earlier revealed that MBS had been subjected to an assassination attempt by one of his bodyguards when he was on a visit to one of his royal palaces.
MBS did not appear in public following the incident, and he missed the tripartite Gulf summit in the UAE and the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Beijing.
The Crown Prince has only confidence in his personal bodyguard, Major Yasser Al-Alaboun, who was responsible for the arrests of dozens of Saudi princes.
