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Rebranding the Kingdom: Illusion or Reality?

killers or confidantes?

Saud al-Qahtani, the lead man on the ground in Istanbul with his "Tiger Squad" of killers, is even flaunting his freedom. In the aftermath of the affair, a series of trials were held to punish the supposed "rogue" perpetrators, among whom was al-Qahtani. His reappearance on social media apparently leading the good life flies in the face of Saudi claims that justice has been served; rather, the carefully leaked images of the crown prince's point man, free and unconcerned, seem designed to send a chilling message to critics.

The fiction that all is well has now been exposed as a veneer; there have been major reforms indeed, but they have been allowed only under whatever terms MbS may dictate. What has become clear is that the narrative, or brand, is key. The crown prince is as much obsessed with his public image, in his own way, as a member of the Kardashian clan might be, while suing a media outlet to take down an unflattering bikini photo. In his case, the brand extends far beyond the bare superficialities, going in fact to the heart of his claim to the throne, whose foundation is the ambitious and world-changing vision he has in mind for the Kingdom. Those who point out missteps along the way thereby undermine the illusion, and must be silenced. The debacle of the Salvator Mundi perfectly encapsulates such a world view. With his ill-considered and controversial purchase likely nothing but an expensive sham, MbS reacted in the only way he knew how - apply pressure to those who might bend the rules and create an alternate reality, in which his investment was as much a masterpiece of judgment as the work's inception. And just like his domestic failures, the rejection of that narrative and the exposure of the grim reality underneath reveals his hubris and folly.

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