“there is a major historical change occurring”
Sure looks like it.
Although it takes a very strong leader to do what the new Crown Prince (MBS) is doing, most of it needed to be done anyhow - the tides of history demand change.
Oil revenues are no longer able to pay for everything anymore, and likely never will be again. The Saudi economy must diversify for real. Big budget adjustments are needed every year - there is no slack left for incremental changes.
Iran is rising militarily, encircling Saudi Arabia rapidly and shooting is ongoing. They desperately need to change that.
The younger generation in Saudi Arabia has very different attitudes from the older, and there are a lot more of them than the older generation. They have mostly seen the outside world, and have Internet.
The Country can’t sustain lavish allowances for a Royal Family of thousands of Princes and Princesses, as their number explodes with each generation. That system has to change, at least to a limited direct line.
Wahabbism has turned into a truly horrific global monster (ISIS, al Queda, etc.) that is increasingly blowing back on the Saudi sponsors. If they are not part of the solution, they risk being destroyed as part of the problem.
Nothing goes on forever, and major historical trends in Saudi Arabia have run their course. An historic change is called for.
The proposed city/region/zone of Neom is the Saudi bid to modernize and to replace their dependency on oil; I think young Salman is in favor of this:
Salman is also rumored to be putting an end to Wahhabism, at least to it’s role in Saudi Arabia. He’s said to want a pluralistic humane culture- I guess that will be put to the test if and when someone wants to open a Christian church or a synagogue somewhere in KSA.
Bizarrely enough Obama may well have instigated the reform movement in KSA and the Gulf Cooperation Council, and their relationship with Israel- they decided that they could not trust the United States if we are led by Obama or someone like him. So with the belief that Iran is a threat to their very survival, KSA, Israel and the GCC began collaborating and have developed into a formidable military force. The destruction of ISIS in Mosul and Raqqa was done by them. If this information is accurate their next target will be Hezbollah in Lebanon. And if any of this is being reported in the MSM I don’t know of it.