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Foreign Minister Arrives in Istanbul

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Faysal bin Farhan bin Abdallah Al Farhan

2026-10-23 - SPA -

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Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faysal bin Farhan bin Abdallah arrived in Istanbul today to take part in the ministerial meeting of the Quadripartite Group - comprising Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Turkiye, and Egypt - and its joint ministerial session with European counterparts representing the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Italy.

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The Qur'anic Vision of Muhammad bin Salman: Conviction or Politics? Behind the spate of reforms introduced by the crown prince is an influential group of Islamic scholars holding that only the Qur'an is the source of divine law, while much of the literature of 'hadith' is suspect. So far, the younger generation has embraced his reforms, but the change in outlook represents a profound rift with the Kingdom's past.
Spectacle and Ceremony: Honoring Tradition or Managing Expectation? Bursting with pomp and circumstance, the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, and later the coronation of her heir, King Charles III, were monumental productions involving the full apparatus of state, broadcast live to the world (with the taxpayer footing the bill). In contrast, the funeral of Saudi kings and the accession of a new monarch are swift and simple affairs, grounded in the Kingdom's austere brand of Islam and the royal family's tribal roots.
Succession In A Time Of Uncertainty: Revisiting The Past? (Part IV) After King Salman ascended the throne, his son Muhammad began consolidating power, presuming himself the next in line. Having eliminated his rivals and becoming effectively immune from future challenge, he has cast aside the guidelines and traditions governing the process of succession. But does the ambitious exercise to reset the political dynamic represent merely a course correction for an outdated system, or does it forebode something more sinister?
Succession In A Time Of Uncertainty: Revisiting The Past? (Part III) A generation of royals brought up to believe that each would rule in turn was unwilling to accept that this could never be realized in practice, while factional rivalries complicated the dynamics of what had been an informal process of consensus building within the family.
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