The young prince already
wielded huge power before he was named heir, spearheading a sweeping economic
and social reform programme for the ultraconservative kingdom.
Saudi Arabia’s King Salman
sacked his nephew as crown prince on Wednesday and installed his son Mohammed
bin Salman, capping a meteoric rise for the 31-year-old that puts him one step
from the throne.
His rise comes at a crucial
time for Saudi Arabia as it is locked in a battle for regional influence with
arch rival Iran, bogged down in a controversial military intervention in
neighbouring Yemen and at loggerheads with fellow US Gulf ally Qatar.
His youth is a novelty for
a country that is used to ageing leaders — his father is 81 — and his rapid
ascent through royal ranks over the past two years has symbolised the hopes of
the kingdom’s young population, more than half of which is under 25.
Footage aired on Saudi
television channels showed the bearded Mohammed bin Salman kissing the hand of
his sacked cousin, Mohammed bin Nayef and kneeling in front of the older
prince, who patted his shoulder to congratulate him.
“I am going to rest now.
May God help you,” the former crown prince said, to which his replacement
replied: “May God help you. I will never do without your advice.”
As deputy crown prince, the
new heir to the throne already held multiple posts, including the defence
portfolio and economic supervisory positions.
He is the main champion of
the kingdom’s Vision 2030 reform plan which aims to bring social and economic
change to the oil-dependent economy of a country where women’s rights are among
the most restricted in the world.
Mohammed chairs the Council
of Economic and Development Affairs which coordinates economic policy and
oversees state oil giant Saudi Aramco.
As defence minister,
Mohammed holds overall responsibility for the kingdom’s military intervention
in Yemen, but analysts say he has for months retreated from more hands-on
involvement, which he leaves to his generals.
Sunni-dominated Saudi
Arabia leads a coalition which has fought alongside the Yemeni government
against Shiite rebels who control the capital Sanaa.
It has provided ground
troops, enforced an air and sea blockade, and conducted a bombing campaign that
has drawn repeated criticism from human rights groups for the high number of
civilian casualties.
Saudi Arabia’s intervention
in Yemen in March 2015 signalled a more aggressive foreign policy, emphasised
again this month when the kingdom and its allies imposed an embargo on
neighbouring Qatar.
They accused Doha of
supporting extremists, a charge it denies.
The rift marked the
region’s worst diplomatic crisis in years and drew some concern in Washington
but Riyadh has remained unapologetic.
The move reflects
Mohammed’s “calling the shots” in the kingdom, said Andreas Krieg of the
Defence Studies Department at King’s College London.
A visit to Saudi Arabia by
US President Donald Trump in May, when he held talks with the then deputy crown
prince, signalled that Mohammed “could be more confrontational”, Krieg said.
AFP
sound like the cousin wanted to leave too
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