The Last Kings

The world has only a handful of old-fashioned kings, the kind whose subjects must follow their every command. Europe’s monarchs gave way to constitutions and elected governments long ago, as did those in Japan and Thailand. Almost all of the remaining absolute monarchs are in the oil-rich countries ringing the Persian Gulf, one of the globe’s most turbulent neighborhoods. That’s focused attention on who will succeed the region’s elderly and increasingly frail sovereigns. Succession could pose a risk to the stability of these countries and their alliances, such as those battling insurgent Islamist groups. As the Arab world grapples with new threats and calls to modernize, the Gulf monarchies remain bound by opaque and centuries-old traditions for passing on power.

Saudi Arabia’s King Salman elevated his powerful 31-year-old son Prince Mohammed Bin Salman to crown prince on June 21, ensuring his own line will succeed to the throne. The crown had passed from brother to brother since founder Abdulaziz Al Saud died in 1953. Salman, 81, had set up a new generation of princes to take over, after his half-brother Prince Muqrin stepped aside in 2015 in favor of their nephew. Succession is also in focus in the United Arab Emirates and Oman. In the U.A.E., 68-year-old President Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan suffered a stroke in 2014. Since he rules Abu Dhabi, the richest of the seven emirates that make up the country, many political analysts expect that the six other leaders would anoint his crown prince to succeed him in the top job. Oman’s 76-year-old Sultan Qaboos bin Said traveled to Germany for health checks in 2014 and returned six months later. There is no declared heir to the throne in Muscat as Qaboos isn’t married and has no children or brothers.