Saudi Arabia just got a new heir to throne
The appointment of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is putting a new twist on changes in the monarchy. Here are some of the reforms he's thought to have supported so far:
US RELATIONS
- A joint defense deal worth nearly $110 billion
- The surge of new agreements between American and Saudi companies
OIL
- The launch of Saudi Vision 2030, an economic program that plans to wean the country off oil by investing in the private sector and redistributing the work force
THE MIDDLE EAST
- A military campaign against Yemeni rebels in a conflict that has killed thousands of civilians since 2015
- Severing diplomatic relations with Iran and Qatar
RELIGION
- Curtailing the powers of the country’s feared religious police, who can no longer detain people they identify as breaking their standards of moral conduct
WOMEN
- New laws to increase women's rights including the right to vote and to run for office
- More women in the workforce – including top job positions like head of the stock exchange