Saudi Crown Prince Bets on Economy

by David Dumke, director of Prince Mohammed Bin Fahd Program

This week marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of Bill Clinton’s victory over George H. W. Bush, a notable presidential election that familiarized the political world with the mantra, “It’s the economy, stupid.” Coined by Clinton’s famed political strategist James Carville, it stated the simple truth that political strength is largely about jobs. That year, President Bush’s considerable foreign policy accomplishments ultimately mattered little in the face of the voters’ economic anxiety.

No two political scenarios are entirely comparable, yet as the world contemplates the astonishing developments emanating from Riyadh in past weeks, Carville’s principle largely applies. Time will tell whether the stunning moves made by Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Bin Abdelaziz Al-Saud will prove genius or destructive.

Read the rest of Dumke’s article, featured on The Cairo Review of Global Affairs.