Mohammed Bin Salman

Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud colloquially known by his initials MBS or MbS, is Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia. He also serves as the chairman of the Council of Economic and Development Affairs and the chairman of the Council of Political and Security Affairs. He is considered the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia, being deemed as such even before his appointment as prime minister in 2022. He served as minister of defense from 2015 to 2022. He is the seventh son of King Salman. He was named the 8th most powerful person in the world by Forbes. He has a reported personal wealth of at least $25 billion, making him one of the wealthiest royals and individuals in the world. 

Mohammed was born as the first child of Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz and his third wife, Fahda bint Falah Al Hithlain. After obtaining a law degree from King Saud University, he served as an advisor to his father. After Salman became king, he appointed Mohammed defense minister and deputy crown prince in 2015. Mohammed was promoted to crown prince in 2017 after the dismissal of Crown Prince Muhammad bin Nayef, King Salman's nephew. Salman ceded the position of prime minister to his son in 2022.

Mohammed rules an authoritarian government. There are no democratic institutions in Saudi Arabia, and repression is widespread. Islamic scholars, human rights activists, women's rights activists, journalists, former insiders, Islamists, and other political dissidents are systematically repressed through tactics including torture and jailing, and some reports have alleged that Mohammed uses a group known as the Tiger Squad to carry out extrajudicial killings. A CIA report released in 2021 implicated him of being personally linked to the assassination of Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi Arabian Washington Post columnist and critic of Saudi government, but Mohammed has denied involvement in the killing. Mohammed was the architect of Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen which has exacerbated the humanitarian crisis and famine there. His government was also involved in the escalation of the Qatar diplomatic crisis, the 2017 detention of Lebanese prime minister Saad Hariri, a 2018 diplomatic spat with Canada, the arrest of Saudi princes and billionaires in 2017, the 2018–2019 Saudi crackdown on feminists, an alleged phone hack against Amazon chairman Jeff Bezos in 2019, and treason charges against his cousin and rival Muhammad bin Nayef in 2020. Saudi Arabia's relations with the Biden administration have been strained, especially after Mohammed's refusal to increase oil production in the wake of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Mohammed has touted reforms in an effort to improve his government's image. These include regulations restricting the powers of the religious police and improving women's rights, such as the removal of the ban on female drivers in 2018 and weakening the male-guardianship system in 2019. Other cultural developments under his reign include the first Saudi public concerts by a female singer, the first Saudi sports stadium to admit women, an increased presence of women in the workforce, and opening the country to international tourists by introducing an e-visa system, allowing foreign visas to be applied for and issued via the Internet. The Saudi Vision 2030 program aims to diversify the country's economy through investment in non-oil sectors including technology and tourism. Under Mohammed, Saudi Arabia started co-ordinating its energy policy with Russia since 2016, and also strengthened its relations with China, signing a comprehensive strategic partnership with Xi Jinping in 2022. In 2023, Saudi Arabia restored full diplomatic relations with Iran leading to a wider regional rapprochement, including negotiations for peace deal with Houthis, following talks mediated by China.

Early career :

After graduating from university, Mohammed spent several years in the private sector before becoming a personal aide to his father. He worked as a consultant for the Experts Commission, working for the Saudi Cabinet. On 15 December 2009, at the age of 24, he entered politics as a special advisor to his father when the latter was the governor of Riyadh Province. At this time Mohammed began to rise from one position to another, such as secretary-general of the Riyadh Competitive Council, special advisor to the chairman of the board for the King Abdulaziz Foundation for Research and Archives, and a member of the board of trustees for Albir Society in the Riyadh region. In October 2011, Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz died. Prince Salman began his ascent to power by becoming second deputy prime minister and minister of defence. He made Mohammed his private advisor.

In June 2012, Crown Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz died. Prince Mohammed moved up into the number two position in the hierarchy, as his father became the new crown prince and first deputy prime minister. He soon began remaking the court in his own image. On 2 March 2013, Chief of the Crown Prince Court Saud bin Nayef Al Saud was appointed governor of the Eastern Province, and Mohammed succeeded him as chief of the court. He was also given the rank of minister. On 25 April 2014, Mohammed was appointed state minister.