Nope this is not about their obvious success destroying the country of Yemen but rather how they have set about on a PR campaign (or as it should be titled a propaganda program)…..

Recently I heard our prez lecture Cuba about political prisoners….that how wrong it was to prosecute those that criticize the government….and yet the Saudis are far more brutal in their punishment of critics of the government and so far not much has been said to criticize them….it is all so pathetic.

Any way I read a piece about the Saudis buying all these high price lobbyists…..

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is adding more American lobbyists to its payroll by hiring BGR Government Affairs, a company founded by former Republican National Committee chair Haley Barbour, according to filings disclosed last week.

The contract provides BGR with $500,000 annually to assist with U.S. media outreach for the Center for Studies and Media Affairs at the Saudi Royal Court, a government entity. The retainer includes the services of Jeffrey Birnbaum, a former Washington Post reporter who once covered the lobbying industry and now works as a lobbyist, as well as Ed Rogers, a former Reagan administration official who now lobbies and writes a column for the Postcalled “PostPartisan.”

The contract is the latest in a buildup over the last two years.

Source: Saudi Arabia Continues Hiring Spree of Lobbyists, Retains Former Washington Post Reporter

So these guys are buying a high priced PR campaign…..and then I saw this piece in Foreign Policy Blogs…..

………the country’s path toward modernization and economic revitalization is still perilous and far from assured. In addition to external threats from ISIS and Iran, the society’s inherent conservatism, problems achieving consensus within the royal family, and the fear of social unrest could all, individually or collectively, slow progress toward reform. Unforeseen developments or further economic turmoil could derail the Saudi reform plans.

Aware of such risks, Mohammed bin Salman, who directs the country’s economic strategy, has surrounded himself with experienced technocrats to reform the economy. The initiatives that have been announced in the last six months look likely to pave the way for a modernization of the Saudi system. To achieve this, he must rely on the support and experience of his father, King Salman, and his cousin, Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Nayef, who is recognized for his effectiveness in security and anti-terrorism matters.

Source: Why We Should Not Abandon Saudi Arabia – Foreign Policy Blogs | Foreign Policy Blogs

Granted the piece is about the economic woes that the Saudis may face thanx for declining oil….it also presses the fact that social reform is on the agenda…..

My thought after reading this was……how much did that piece of “good” news cost the Saudis?