Mohammed Bin Salman provides a focus for Saudi disquiet

Even before the disaster in Mecca that killed at least 769 people on 24 September, a “definite sense of disquiet” was apparent across Saudi Arabia, as one analyst based in the kingdom put it. A variety of sources have spoken to GSN about growing unease among Saudis over the military intervention in Yemen and a perceived lack of urgency in tackling the dual challenges of Islamic State (IS, or Daesh) and low oil prices. While many in the kingdom will agree with Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdelaziz Bin Abdullah Al Al-Sheikh’s view that the stampede of Hajj pilgrims was “beyond human control”, many Saudis are apprehensive about wider political developments during 2015.