Saudi Rulers Rally Support on Home Front as U.S. Pressure Mounts
- King on national tour for the first time since assuming throne
- Saudis are facing a global outcry over Jamal Khashoggi’s death
It’s been more than a decade since any Saudi monarch went to Ha’il, once an outpost on the old pilgrimage trail to Mecca. King Salman’s arrival last week in the northern province his father conquered a century ago showed the importance of rallying the home front as international support for Saudi Arabia falters.
As a global outcry over the killing of a government critic morphs into a U.S. demand for Saudi Arabia to end its war in Yemen, King Salman has turned to traditional means of building domestic loyalty. Greeted by throngs of well-wishers, the 82-year-old monarch embarked on his first tour of the country since assuming the throne in 2015. He ordered the release of indebted prisoners and unveiled billions of dollars worth of projects in far-flung areas that have sometimes felt forgotten by Riyadh.