Saudis lead a 34-nation Islamic anti-terrorism pact
An Islamic anti-terrorism pact sounds great on paper; whether it will actually achieve much is another matter. Nevertheless, the importance of Saudi Arabia's action is that the pact represents yet another marker of the rising militarisation of Saudi Arabia under the direction of its 34 year-old Minister of Defence and deputy Crown Prince. Neither ISIS nor Al Qaida are mentioned in the pact, however there is little doubt as to the prime targets.

At a little over 30 years old, Mohammed Bin Salman has in a matter of months become Saudi Arabia's strong man. He is the all-powerful Minister of Defence, head of the royal court, director of the Council of Economic and Development Affairs and chairman of the supreme council of Saudi Aramco and has control over all major affairs. Whether it be operations in Yemen against the rebel Houthis or negotiations over major contracts, he is the principal decision-maker.



His father, King Salman Bin Abdelaziz, who has great confidence in him, brought Mohamed into his inner circle some years ago and, in April, designated him deputy crown prince. This made him second in order of succession, just behind interior minister Mohamed Bin Nayef.

Some, particularly arab speakers, describe Prince Mohamed as extremely warm, while others, often foreigners, find him cold and brusque. In his efforts to advance the cause of the Salman clan, he is gradually imposing his own people. He has surrounded himself with people who have already been close to the clan for a long time, people like the Spanish-Saudi consultant,and the head of his private office,He has also made families which support the clan the kingdom's key business partners. Thefamily, owner of the, is increasingly coming to the fore as the key intermediary for Western companies in Saudi Arabia. In the same way, thegroup headed by Lebanese nationaland'sconglomerate are to be found among the front runners for major contracts.The prince is also at work furthering his family's financial interests, allowing his brothers,and, who control theandfunds, to develop their companies' influence. Faisal is also thought to still have partial control of Saudi Arabia's biggest media group,(SRMG).He is also looking to satisfy his own political and social ambitions. To improve his image, he set up in 2011 the, which aims to aid young Saudis. Thanks to his influence, the foundation has been able to establish partnerships withand