The news that the buyer of Salvator Mundi, the most expensive painting ever sold, is the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman. The painting is destined to hang in the Louvre Abu Dhabi.

But Salvator Mundi is also an interesting painting for Prince 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 many Christians who live and work in Saudi Arabia. Perhaps they are going to be granted some form of religious toleration.

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.