Crown Prince Of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman Pays 450 Million For Salvator Mundi by Leonardo da Vinci

In the hands of a Muslim.

Why?

Well he has money.

That's why.

Funny how there are well over 200 wealthy Saudi businessmen who have had their wealth confiscated by MBS and yet this prince spends 450 million to buy a painting of Jesus Christ.

Why has MBS confiscated the wealth of others?

Because Saudi Arabia is hurting for cash.

What is going on in the mind of MBS?

Here is an optimistic take:

But Salvator Mundi is also an interesting painting for MBS to buy for several reasons. Firstly, Saudi Arabia is not as rich as it was, thanks to low oil prices, so it represents a considerable outlay even for the Prince. Secondly, the Leonardo is not just a portrait (something that the strictly aniconic Muslims have never historically appreciated, given the Koran’s condemnation of images), it is a portrait of Christ the Saviour of the World. To import such a picture into Saudi Arabia, where rosary beads are banned, along with any other Christian paraphernalia, would presumably be illegal. That the Prince has bought the picture may be a tangible sign of his moving towards a more moderate form of Islam, as he has spoken of doing. This could mean that the buying of the painting is a sign of hope for the many Christians who live and work in Saudi Arabia. Perhaps they are going to be granted some form of religious toleration. Conversely, that the Prince has bought the painting may be a message to the religious conservatives in the Kingdom that the Prince is setting out on the path to moderation.

Thus we should be extremely pleased that a Prince from a country that bans Christianity should have bought a Christian picture: it could be a sign of better things to come. Given the mania for all things to do with Leonardo, it is possible that tourists will now flock in huge numbers to the Louvre Abu Dhabi; in which case the picture may prove to be worth its huge price tag. And when they look at this image of the Saviour of the World, what then? Let us hope that at least some of the tourists will go away spiritually enriched, and that the image of the Lord may bring blessings on Abu Dhabi, the Emirates, and entire the Arabian Peninsula. Source