Mohammed bin Salman (b. 1985)

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Biography

Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, also known as MbS, is the de facto ruler of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, formally serving as Crown Prince and Prime Minister. He is the heir apparent to the Saudi throne, the seventh son of King Salman, and the grandson of the nation's founder, Ibn Saud.

Timeline

The story of Mohammed bin Salman, told in moments.

2015 Event

Appointed deputy crown prince and Minister of Defense after his father became king. At 29, he became the youngest defense minister in the world. Launched the Saudi-led intervention in Yemen that year.

Youngest defense minister in the world at twenty-nine. Were you ready? Launching the Yemen intervention. Has the cost been worth it?

2017 Event

Promoted to crown prince, displacing his cousin Mohammed bin Nayef. Led a purge of Saudi elites at the Ritz-Carlton Riyadh, detaining hundreds on corruption charges. The government reportedly seized up to $800 billion in assets.

The Ritz-Carlton purge. Was that anti-corruption or consolidation? $800 billion in seized assets. Did anyone resist?

2018 Event

Lifted the ban on women driving in Saudi Arabia and weakened the male-guardianship system. The same year, journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. A US intelligence report later concluded that MBS had ordered the operation.

Women driving and Khashoggi killed in the same year. How do those coexist? The intelligence report naming you. Does international opinion constrain you?

2022 Life

Became Prime Minister while remaining Crown Prince. Saudi Vision 2030 aims to diversify the economy away from oil through tech, tourism, sport, and the $500 billion Neom megaproject. He brokered a grain export deal between Russia and Ukraine the same year.

Neom, Vision 2030, $500 billion megaprojects. Is that ambition or fantasy? Brokering between Russia and Ukraine. Was that diplomacy or opportunity?

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