Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman completed his reduced trip to Asia last week with an array of carefully staged photo opportunities to show he is still a credible figure on the world stage. His hosts — Pakistan, India and China — avoided awkward issues such as the premeditated murder of Jamal Khashoggi and the war in Yemen. In turn the crown prince promised huge investments and warm diplomatic support.
The principal goal of the trip was to restore the crown prince’s tarnished image and convince his Saudi audiences that he is still accepted internationally. The trip got off to an awkward start. First his arrival in Islamabad was delayed a day with no explanation provided as to why. Then two stops, Indonesia and Malaysia, were suddenly canceled, again without any explanation. Given that royal visits are carefully choreographed well in advance, the schedule changes suggest concerns that security issues arose, including fear of hostile demonstrations.