“With deep sorrow and sadness the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz mourns the death of his brother and his Crown Prince Sultan… who died at dawn this morning Saturday outside the kingdom following an illness,” Saudi Arabian court official said.

 The crowned prince of Saudi Arabia died yesterday at the age of 80 in New York City. Sultan was known for being a prominent figure in Saudi Arabian decision making after being put in charge of defense in 1962. Despite Middle Eastern rebellion against autocratic leaders, an orderly transition between leaders was predicted to be a smooth one. The new prince is planned to be Prince Nayef, a well-known conservative and current Interior Minister.

The king of Saudi Arabia, Abdullah has also reacted strongly to the “Arab Spring” by spending billions of dollars on social benefits and housing. Analysts agree that the new prince’s biggest issue will be the act of dealing with an angry Shi’ite minority and the Saudi Arabian conflict with Yemen.

 Recent news relating to the attempted murder of the Saudi Arabian ambassador has also increased tensions with yet another country, Iran.

 Saudi Arabian citizens though, have negative views towards Nayef, heir to the throne, and believe that immediate changes will be minimal and that the succession process is unfair.

 “The problem is (the Allegiance Council) is a secret organization that consists of members of the royal family and Saudi society has no say” Madawi al- Rashid, author of History of Saudi Arabia, told The Washington Post in a recent interview.

With the high amount of “crumbling” countries surrounding Saudi Arabia, a new group of officials increases the chances for mistakes to occur, in turn allowing more conflicts between the Saudi government and its neighbors. The U.S. though, is willing to help in any way possible against these quarrels.

“Our (America’s) relationship with Saudi Arabia is strong and enduring and we will look forward to working with the (Saudi) leadership for many years to come,” Hillary Clinton told The Washington Post.