Saudi prince’s reform: Car race, concerts, but no criticism

The concerts and car race cap several months of profound change in Saudi Arabia, including the opening of the first movie theatre in April and the lifting of the world’s only ban on women driving in June.

A Formula-E car race and concerts where men and women mingle freely epitomize the reform agenda of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

A Formula-E car race and concerts where men and women mingle freely epitomize the reform agenda of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. (AFP)

But there’s a hard limit to the reforms — as revealed by the brutal killing of Saudi critic and writer Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents close to the crown prince in October and the reported torture of five women’s rights activists in detention.

The crown prince presides over a nation where he alone defines the pace and scope of change.

The concerts and car race cap several months of profound change in Saudi Arabia, including the opening of the first movie theatre in April and the lifting of the world’s only ban on women driving in June.