With the arrest of 11 protesting princes last week, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is again showing his commitment to change in the kingdom. On Jan. 7, the Saudi attorney general, Sheikh Saud al-Mojeb, issued a statement confirming media reports about the detention of 11 Saudi princes from the Kabeer branch of the royal family. The princes had reportedly been protesting Jan. 4 in a public square adjacent to Qasr al-Hokm palace in central Riyadh without government approval. According to the attorney general, the Princes are now in al-Hair prison awaiting trial after challenging the government’s recent moves to trim financial support for royal family members’ utility bills. The state has been steadily rolling back some of its subsidies for utilities during the past year. With a new budget kicking in Jan. 1, the cost of utilities is loosely scheduled to increase this year....
