Watan-In truth, he was aware of the UAE’s establishment of soft power within Saudi Arabia, but he turned a blind eye to it because Mohammed bin Zayed’s mission to solidify “Ibn Salman’s” throne in Washington deserved a hefty price, even multiple prices. Among them was the blockade of Qatar.
Mohammed bin Salman did not discover that Turki al-Dakhil was corrupt, this accusation was used to impose his influence and withdraw billions from his princely relatives, and “al-Dakhil’s” corruption did not merit this turn against him, knowing that everyone surrounding Ibn Salman is corrupt, but only those who dare to challenge the crown prince are held accountable.
It’s indisputable that Turki al-Dakhil was the architect of the soft power established by “Ibn Zayed” and lavished it with money with Ibn Salman’s knowledge. The banking transfers, real estate contracts, investments, and media contracts with Emirati institutions were not hidden from Ibn Salman, and notably, some contracts were made concurrently with Turki al-Dakhil’s work at “Al Arabiya” channel. Moreover, all his investments in London, Paris, and elsewhere were from Emirati sources.
During the Qatar blockade, leaks emerged about “al-Dakhil” receiving two buildings on the Thames in London, on the morning of the announcement of the hacking of the Qatari News Agency, and “Al Arabiya” was the first to broadcast a fabricated news attributed to the Emir of Qatar after the hacking of the Qatari News Agency.
It was very clear that Turki al-Dakhil’s loyalty to Ibn Zayed, even when Ibn Salman appointed him as Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Abu Dhabi, al-Dakhil represented the interests of the UAE, not Saudi Arabia.
Why now?
The disputes between the UAE and Saudi Arabia are numerous, this article cannot encompass them all, but what Ibn Salman overlooked is that Ibn Zayed’s penetration into Saudi Arabia is much broader than he imagines.
It is not limited to Turki al-Dakhil or those recruited to work at the “Al-Masbar” center, an Emirati center that uses the word “research” as a cover for its activities, which mainly consist of buying intellectuals and journalists, and focuses more on Saudi Arabia than any other country. The “Al-Masbar” center includes from Saudi Arabia Mansour al-Nogaidan, Mashari al-Thaidi, and Abdullah bin Bajad.
It will be difficult for Mohammed bin Salman to control the writers, artists, and intellectuals living in Saudi Arabia, but their loyalty to Ibn Zayed, all of whom receive financial allowances, including “Al-Sheikh” family members like Monther and Abdullatif, and others whose names and images you can find with this article.