Saudi Arabia, the Gulf Cooperation Council, and the Trump Administration: Stability or Upheaval?

Tensions are mounting among members of the Gulf Cooperation Council and, at the same time, Saudi Arabia has found itself at the center of a controversy over its recent succession restructuring. While the Trump administration is keen to restore Saudi Arabia to its traditional key position in Middle East policy, the Kingdom is facing a host of serious issues, domestic and foreign. Is Saudi Arabia headed for stability or turmoil? When King Salman named his son, Mohammed Bin Salman, crown prince in June, Riyadh seemed to be ensuring a degree of political stability not seen in the kingdom perhaps since its founding. However, a recent flood of news stories suggests that the transition was not as smooth as initially portrayed, with the younger Mohammed Bin Salman forcing out his 57-year-old cousin, Mohammed Bin Nayef, who is well respected at home and here in the United States. Although Mohammed Bin Salman has already begun to implement his vision of a Saudi future keyed to the rising generation, there