Mohammed bin Salman
Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud (Arabic: محمد بن سلمان آل سعود, romanized: Muḥammad bin Salmān Ās Su‘ūd; born 31 August 1985), popularly known by his initials as MBS or MbS, is the heir apparent to the Saudi Arabian throne. He is currently Crown Prince and Prime Minister. He is the seventh son of King Salman of Saudi Arabia and grandson of the nation's founder, King Abdulaziz.
"MbS" redirects here. For other uses, see MBS (disambiguation).
Mohammed bin Salman
- محمد بن سلمان
- محمد بن سلمان
Vacant
Vacant
31 August 1985
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Prince Salman
- Prince Mashour
- Princess Fahda
- Princess Noura
- Prince Abdulaziz
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 became an advisor to his father. He was appointed deputy crown prince and Defence Minister after Salman became king, then promoted to crown prince in 2017. He succeeded his father as prime minister in 2022.
Since his appointment as crown prince in 2017, Mohammed has introduced a series of social and economic reforms. These include curtailing the influence of the Wahhabi religious establishment by restricting the powers of the religious police and improving women's rights, the removal of the ban on female drivers in 2018 and weakening the male-guardianship system in 2019. His Saudi Vision 2030 program aims to reduce the Saudi economy's reliance on oil through investment in non-oil sectors including technology and tourism; however, the economy remains heavily dependent on oil.[1] Under Mohammed, Saudi Arabia began co-ordinating its energy policy with Russia and also strengthened its relations with China.
Mohammed leads an authoritarian government. Those regarded as political dissidents are systematically repressed through methods including imprisonment and torture. A 2021 Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) report found that Mohammed had orchestrated the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Mohammed was the architect of the Saudi-led intervention in Yemen and was involved in the escalation of the Qatar diplomatic crisis, as well as a 2018 diplomatic dispute with Canada. Between 2017 and 2019, he led the purge of competing Saudi political and economic elites, seizing up to US$800 billion in assets and cash and cementing control over Saudi politics.
Administration[edit]
Ideology[edit]
Mohammed's ideology has been described as nationalist[61][62] and populist,[63][64] with a conservative attitude towards politics, and a liberal stance on economic and social issues.[65][66] It has been heavily influenced by the views of his former adviser Saud al-Qahtani[67][68] and the ruler of Abu Dhabi, Mohammed bin Zayed.[69][70] His style of ruling has been described as extremely brutal by journalist Rula Jebreal and authoritarian by Jamal Khashoggi[71] and Theodor Winkler.[66] Mohammed bin Salman has also been championing an Arab nationalist ideology domestically and through foreign policy; with a focus on opposing Islamist movements.[72]
Authoritarianism[edit]
Mohammed heads a repressive authoritarian government in Saudi Arabia. Human rights activists and women's rights activists in Saudi Arabia have faced abuse and torture by the regime.[73] Critics, journalists and former insiders are tortured and killed.[73][74] The government has targeted Saudi dissidents who are located abroad. Jamal Khashoggi, a columnist of The Washington Post, was murdered by the regime.[74] Mohammed has justified the mass arrests of human rights activists as being as necessary for enacting reforms in Saudi Arabia and for establishing a state based on Arab nationalism.[75][76]
Mohammed has increasingly consolidated power in Saudi Arabia during his tenure as leader.[75] He significantly restricted the powers of the Saudi religious police.[21] On 29 January 2015, Mohammed was named the chair of the newly established Council for Economic and Development Affairs,[77] replacing the disbanded Supreme Economic Commission.[77] In April 2015, Mohammed was given control over Saudi Aramco by royal decree following his appointment as deputy crown prince.[78]
Domestic policies[edit]
Religious policy[edit]
According to David Ottaway of the Wilson Center, "[o]f all [Mohammed's] domestic reforms," the most "consequential" has been his work limiting the influence of Saudi Wahhabi clergy, "who still command millions of followers in the country and beyond".[79] Mohammed's inviting of "a constant stream of Western male and female singers, bands, dancers and even American female wrestlers" to perform in Saudi Arabia is in complete conflict with religious conservatives who have spoken "against the opening up of the kingdom to secular Western culture".[79] Under Mohammed, the Saudi government has promoted a new Saudi identity and nationalist history that downplays religious heritage and restricts Islamic influence in the cultural sphere.[80] Journalist Graeme Wood writes, "it is hard to exaggerate how drastically this sidelining of Islamic law will change Saudi Arabia."[81] Gabriella Perez argues that the new social changes implemented by MBS are oriented towards secularist repression, with the potential to adversely impact freedom of religion in the country.[82]
In a 2018 interview with The Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg, Mohammed stated regarding his basic approach to religion in Saudi Arabian society:
Styles of
Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud
Your Royal Highness
