THE habitual reaction was to shy away. Saudi Arabia’s princes used to shrink from Britain’s press like women in purdah. A critical BBC documentary prompted King Khalid to cancel a trip to Britain in 1980. Royal visits,after all, were hunting season, or wealthy in opportunities to bash the kingdom. “Truth approximately the savage House of Saud,” roared the Daily Mirror during the late King Abdullah’s visit in 2007, arguing that flags should hang at half-mast “in shame” to get a monarch who “squandered [his wealth] on whores, and palaces and private jets”. The Saudis responded with silence. Eliciting a “no comment” was an accomplishment. Everything was banned in the kingdom—journalists most of all.
By contrast Mohammed bin Salman,the young Saudi crown prince who began his first official visit to London on March 7th, has ordered a PR blitz. Bright young Saudi graduates of Western universities staff the ranks of a new Centre for International Communication in Riyadh. Ministries own press offices for the first...
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Source: economist.com