What gerontocracy looks like

The image above is from the Saudi Press Agency’s official website, and shows King Abdullah convalescing after back surgery – his third in less than a year.

The men sitting around his bed represent the upper echelons of the Saudi royal family. From left to right, the pictures shows four of the king’s brothers: Prince Bandar, who is seen as something  of a recluse; Prince Mishal, the chairman of the Allegiance Council; Prince Mitab, who served as minister of municipal affairs before resigning for health reasons; and the hale and hearty Prince Nayef, who appears to be the only one of this bunch able to get around without a cane or wheelchair. Nayef is currently serving as interior minister, and is second in line for the throne.

Though nary a gray hair appears on these royals’ heads, the current generation of Saudi leaders’ ability to guide events in the kingdom is clearly coming to a close. At a time when Saudi Arabia is contending with a resurgent Iran, domestic uprisings throughout the Arab world, and messy interventions in the Yemen and Bahrain, a leadership change will undoubtedly be felt across the Middle East.

And, of course, it’s not only the Persian Gulf that must brace for the effects of Saudi Arabia’s graying leadership (presumably, at least, beneath the dye). "The fate of the global economy is in the hands of these guys," FP managing editor Blake Hounshell tweeted. Scary thought.

(Many thanks go to Washington Institute for Near East Policy fellow Simon Henderson, the author of "After King Abdullah: Succession In Saudi Arabia," for pointing out this photo.)