In this issue we find that there may be grounds for serious concern about the king’s health during his stay in the US for medical treatment. We discuss the extent to which crown prince Sultan is fulfilling his role as “interim regent” in the king’s absence, and the parts played by his son, Prince Khaled b. Sultan, and brother, Prince Nayef b. Abdulaziz. We also discuss the role of Muqrin b. Abdulaziz, president of General Intelligence, amid manoeuvres that might suggest an attempted Sudayri takeover of the intelligence and security services.
In addition to this analysis (3,230 words), the issue comprises an Executive Summary (355 words) and a Saudi Royal Court Gazette (4,806 words) in which we record the reported activity, during the month, of 25 princes. Total number of words for this issue: 8,036.
