"The kingdom was founded on Islamic principles of justice and equality, and we
are proud of the efforts of the judiciary and the public prosecution," King
Salman said in his annual address to the country’s top advisory body Shura
Council on Monday.
"We ensure that this country will never deviate from implementing God's law
without discrimination," he went on to say, without directly addressing the
murder of Khashoggi in his speech.
The king also praised bin Salman's ambitious economic reform program, whose fate
is not clear anymore amid allegations of the crown prince’s direct role in the
assassination.
Last week, the Saudi public prosecutor exonerated bin Salman of involvement in
the murder of Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2, but the
CIA reportedly concluded he had ordered the assassination.
Saudi Arabia’s official broadcaster Al-Arabiya later reported the crown prince
will attend the upcoming Group of 20 Summit in Argentina in his first overseas
trip since the murder.
In a show of defiance, the prince will come face-to-face with international
leaders from Turkey, the United States and other European nations at the two-day
summit that begins November 30.
US President Donald Trump and other leaders are expected to attend the summit.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has kept international pressure
mounting on the kingdom, is also expected to attend.
Saudi royals turn against crown prince
Meanwhile, some members of Saudi Arabia's ruling family are agitating to prevent
bin Salman from becoming king, three sources close to the royal court told
Reuters on Monday.
Dozens of princes and cousins from powerful branches of the Al Saud family want
to see a change in the line of succession but would not act while King Salman is
still alive, the sources said. They recognize that the king is unlikely to turn
against his favorite son.
Rather, they are discussing the possibility with other family members that after
the king's death, Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz, 76, a younger full brother of King
Salman and uncle of the crown prince, could take the throne, according to the
sources.
Prince Ahmed, King Salman’s only surviving full brother, would have the support
of family members, the security apparatus and some Western powers, one of the
Saudi sources said.
Alarmed by such reports, Crown Prince bin Salman, along with his father, resumed
an unprecedented domestic tour Monday with a visit to northern Tabuk region, as
they seek to leverage links with different tribes and religious leaders and
shore up support for the leadership.
The visit followed a trip to central Qassim province and the neighboring region
of Hail earlier this month.
The House of Saud is made up of hundreds of princes. In the Saudi monarchy,
there is no automatic succession from father to eldest son. Instead the
kingdom’s tribal traditions dictate that the king and senior family members from
each branch select the heir they consider fittest to lead.
Source: PressTV