A young, determined heir

I recently heard from a foreign expert that the Saudi royal family is undergoing a process of change -- a process that gathered steam after the recent visit by U.S. President Donald Trump. The visit demonstrated to the Saudis that they had the support of the U.S. -- something they did not get from the last president. Indeed, naming the king's son the new heir to the throne on Wednesday represented both the reform process itself and its growing momentum.

It was clear that the process wouldn't be easy, since this is the first time since the founder of the dynasty died in 1953 that the next generation, the grandchildren, are taking over. Thus far, the kings have been the sons of the first king -- six half-brothers who inherited the crown from one another, which naturally led to an increasingly elderly leadership. There are no more of these brothers left, and it was unclear which grandson would become the crown heir. The family decided on Wednesday that it would be Mohammed, the son of the current king, Salman. The man he has displaced as heir publicly swore allegiance to him that very day, a sign that he accepts the new heir's authority even though he himself had been the leading candidate to inherit the throne and is 26 years older than the new 31-year-old heir.

It will be interesting to see whom the new heir to the throne selects as his right-hand man, a role he himself filled until his unexpected promotion. His selection will shed light on the coalition that was recruited to secure a large majority in support of the new nomination in the family council. If the appointment passes quietly, as it appears likely to, it will be a great victory for the king and his son, who wish to enact reforms in at least three key areas:

First, the heir has announced a large-scale plan to overhaul the Saudi economy, which, among other points, includes reducing its dependence on the price of oil, practically the kingdom's only export, and to bring many more Saudis into the job market, which currently rests on foreign workers.

Second, the immense amounts the Saudis are about to spend on weapons should put them in an entirely different position when it comes to their ability to confront the Iranian threat. Saudi Arabia will have to change its approach to the military challenge to ensure that the efforts bear fruit and don't just end up an expensive and useless endeavor.

Finally, Saudi Arabia wants to change its regional and international status. It realizes that this will hinge on the kingdom's domestic success in the other two areas -- overhauling its economy and refocusing its military efforts.

It is clear to Saudi Arabia that it cannot lead the Sunni Arab world on its own and needs to cooperate with other countries. It appears that the new heir to the throne gets along well with the leader of the United Arab Emirates, and they have already consulted with each other on taking action in the war in Yemen, as well as on the decision to boycott Qatar.

The Sunni Arab nations, including Egypt, are facing big challenges that have to do with a combination of the dramatic drop in oil prices, the rising threat from Iran, the growing strength of Sunni Muslim extremism -- such as al-Qaida and the Islamic State group -- and, until recently, diminishing American involvement in the region. The new crown heir is seen as determined to meet these challenges head-on. He will be tested on the results, because he now has all the requisite authority to take them on.

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