comment by
Thomas Kistner
The first week of the World Cup went well for Mohammed bin Salman, better than feared – and much better than for his dear neighbor, the Emir of Qatar. Bin Salman, Crown Prince and de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia, was able to take the stage in Doha in a victorious pose after his national team’s triumph over Messi’s Argentina. The coup even temporarily brightened the mood of Tamim bin Hamad al Thani, the fellow throne.