RIYADH: Powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman pledged a “moderate, open” Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, breaking with ultra-conservative clerics in favour of an image catering to foreign investors and Saudi youth. While the Saudi government continues to draw criticism from international rights groups, Prince Mohammed has pushed ahead with reforms since his sudden appointment on June 21. The project, dubbed NEOM, will operate under regulations separate from those that govern the rest of Saudi Arabia. Monitors, including Amnesty International, say Saudi Arabia has in parallel stepped up its repression of peaceful rights activists. Saudi authorities last month arrested dozens of activists, including clerics, without disclosing any charges against them.

Source: Manila Times October 25, 2017 03:11 UTC