Aug 25, 2020 - World

"Blood and Oil" details MBS' "Game of Thrones" struggle for power in Saudi Arabia

Mike Allen, author of AM

Cover: Hachette

"Blood and Oil: Mohammed bin Salman's Ruthless Quest for Global Power," by Wall Street Journal reporters Bradley Hope and Justin Scheck, is coming a week from Tuesday from Hachette Books.

One reveal: "As King Abdullah lay dying, a veritable 'Game of Thrones' got underway among descendants of the Al Saud family. Salman and his son, Mohammed, won out despite efforts from other senior princes to undermine their ascent to rule the country."

Another tidbit: "Saudi Arabia devised a step-by-step plan to paint Qatar as a terrorist-supporting state in March 2017, months before it and allies in the region launched a full-out boycott of the country."

  • "The plan included a nine-by-nine matrix of journalists, ranked as friendly, neutral or hostile, and their influence as low, medium, or high."

👀 "Mohammed bin Salman's megayacht, Serene, travels in a group of 11 yachts, including support vessels and smaller yachts for additional guests," the authors write.

  • "He outfitted the interiors of his yacht with state-of-the-art multimedia equipment that can switch it from a place for meeting officials to a full-on party scene with a few buttons. A former helicopter hangar on board houses a private nightclub, complete with poles for dancers. The ship's crew aren't allowed to go there under any circumstances."
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