Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) of Saudi Arabia is considered one of the most powerful figures in the Arab world. He is said to control all of Saudi Arabia’s power. However, his ascent to power involved several critical events. Following the death of King Abdullah in January 2015, King Salman ascended to the throne and appointed his brother Muqrin as the Crown Prince.
King Salman replaced Muqrin with his nephew, Mohammed bin Nayef, as the new Crown Prince, just three months later. Simultaneously, he appointed his youngest son, Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), as Deputy Crown Prince and Minister of Defense. At this time, MBS was only 29 years old and relatively unknown in the country’s political landscape. From the moment he became Defense Minister, MBS began to solidify his influence within the King’s inner circle.
MBS isolated King Salman from his family and longtime associates, even restricting the King’s access to his own wife (MBS’s mother). Some sources claim that MBS placed his mother and sisters under house arrest and misled the King, telling him they were abroad for medical treatment.
To expand his influence, MBS is believed to have ordered military action in Yemen. Initially, the public welcomed this move, but it was later recognized as a major misstep due to the thousands of civilian casualties it caused.
Two years later, King Salman decided to make MBS the Crown Prince directly. This necessitated removing the current Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Nayef. In June 2017, Nayef was summoned to the palace under a false pretext of a meeting with the King. Upon arrival, his bodyguards were disarmed, and he was confined. Suffering from diabetes, he was denied his necessary medication that night and pressured to resign. Simultaneously, 34 members of the royal family were polled by phone on whether they favored MBS as Crown Prince, with 31 voting in favor. This information was conveyed to Nayef. Exhausted, Nayef signed the resignation documents by morning.
A fabricated video was subsequently produced showing Nayef kissing the King’s hand and displaying loyalty. This video was broadcast on television.
After resigning, Nayef was placed under house arrest in his own palace, and his bank accounts were frozen. Accusations of substance abuse were leveled against him to justify his removal to the public.
Through a calculated plot to seize power, Mohammed bin Salman became the new Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia. His posters are now displayed across Saudi Arabia, and he controls the country’s power.
