The families' lawsuit comes at a time when the Saudis' new crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, is trying to shake the country's image as a stifling, deeply religious state. The young prince — only 32 — has eschewed the traditional robes and checkered keffiyeh headscarf for a suit as he courts foreign investment in the United States and Europe for his oil-dependent kingdom, which he is now billing as a modern Gulf state on par with Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. He has dined with Hollywood actors, tech visionaries and even Oprah Winfrey, media entourage in tow.