Saudi Arabia woke up this morning to discover that overnight its King had appointed his son heir to the throne in place of his nephew.
The surprise move got a few people wondering - is this Game of Thrones Season 7 come early?
#ابايع_محمد_بن_سلمان_وليا_للعهد ؛
— نوتوريوس .. (@xK2K) June 21, 2017
Game of thrones season 8
The prince that was promised?
The prince that was promised
— انسان حسب اخر تصنيف (@SGameOfThrones) June 2, 2017
One tweet drew comparisons between bin Salman and the mythical "prince that was promised" mentioned in George R R Martin's fantasy novel series.
It is speculated that Jon Snow might be revealed to be that figure in the upcoming series of the HBO adaption of Martin's books.
Perhaps this particular commentator saw parallels between fictional Snow and real-life bin Salman. Both young men, they share a military background. The 31-year-old new crown prince has been Defense Minister since 2015, in which role he has headed up the Saudi-led campaign against Houthi rebels in Yemen.
Unlike widely-loved Snow, however, bin Salman has drawn criticism for the loss of civilian life in the more than two-year long conflict for the Arab world's poorest nation.
Less the King in the North and more the (Crown) Prince in the (Middle) East
The Royal Court has reportedly been requesting public displays of allegiance to the new Crown Prince, just as the riverlands Lords swore allegiance to Robb Stark in Game of Thrones.
HH Mohammed bin Salman will undoubtedly bring reform to the country, signalling a new era of leadership…#ابايع_محمد_بن_سلمان_ولياً_للعهد pic.twitter.com/0s8vcEIuEe
— سعود بن سلمان (@999saudsalman) June 21, 2017
#ابايع_محمد_بن_سلمان_وليا_للعهد
صورة عن ألف تغريدة لكل من يحاول اثارة الفتنة pic.twitter.com/dxbYZb1fr6— محمد العتيبي (@hmodi511p) June 21, 2017
A picture speaks a thousand words for all those who are trying to spread dissent.
Prince Mohammed bin Nayef gives his blessings and pledges alliegance to his successor as Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, at Safa palace. pic.twitter.com/uauDPO60hN
— Mohammed K. Alyahya (@7yhy) June 21, 2017
The new season of Saudi Game of Thrones, brought to you by the new "Ministry of Entertainment"
One Saudi even wondered if this was an initiative from the controversial General Authority for Entertainment, which was founded last year.
Some might be entertained by the development, but a number of commentators are warning that it could have quite a pronounced effect on regional and world politics.
Writer for the New York Times, Max Fisher:
MBS been playing for the throne for a while. Pro-Trump, anti-Iran hardliner. Headstrong; risk-taker. Look for regional proxy wars to worsen. https://t.co/pU9PeL0C9j
— Max Fisher (@Max_Fisher) June 21, 2017
Not to get all hipsterish about this but the soft coup in Saudi Arabia, as some are calling it, about 100,000x more significant than GA-6 https://t.co/oB6h31ufME
— Max Fisher (@Max_Fisher) June 21, 2017
The BBC's Security Correspondent, Frank Gardner:
The #Saudi succession 'coup'. My assessment: pic.twitter.com/jEDelFupw2
— Frank Gardner (@FrankRGardner) June 21, 2017
As the Yemen conflict trundles on, as the 'gulf' between Gulf nations continues to wident, and as the Saudi-Iranian competition for influence in the region intensifies, it seems that this game of thrones is one we should not take our eyes off.
