Search results
Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud ( Arabic: سلمان بن عبد العزیز آل سعود, romanized : Salmān bin ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz Āl Su‘ūd; born 31 December 1935) is King of Saudi Arabia, reigning since 2015, and was also Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia from 2015 to 2022. The 25th son of King Abdulaziz, the founder of Saudi Arabia, he ...
- Mohammed bin Salman
- Al Saud
- Overview
- Early life
- In charge of defense and economic policy
- Crown prince
Mohammed bin Salman (born August 31, 1985) is the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia, known for his aggressive foreign policy, ambitious economic vision, and controversial social reforms. He formally serves as crown prince (2017– ) and prime minister (2022– ) and has previously served as minister of defense (2015–22). He is the son of Saudi King Salman...
From a young age Mohammed was interested in government, shadowing his father and remaining conscious about his image. Along the way he learned how to communicate with a wide variety of dignitaries and to avoid indiscretions. He attended King Saud University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in law in 2007. He afte...
In January 2015 Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah died and Salman became king. He immediately appointed Mohammed as his defense minister. In a matter of months Mohammed launched an aggressive military intervention in Yemen’s civil war. Known as Operation Decisive Storm, the campaign intended to give the government of Yemeni Pres. Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi a decisive advantage against the Shiʿi Houthi insurgency in the north of the country. It was thought that a Houthi victory might give Iran, Saudi Arabia’s main regional rival, a foothold along Saudi Arabia’s southern border. The campaign, however, failed to turn the tide in the war and led to little more than a prolonged stalemate and one of the worst humanitarian crises in modern history.
Mohammed was also placed in charge of the state oil company Aramco and the Council of Economic and Developmental Affairs, the country’s primary policy-making body for economic development. He sought to open up Aramco for an initial public offering (IPO) and set out on bold development initiatives, such as his Vision 2030 plan designed to attract foreign investment for industries outside its energy sector. Some of these policies proved too ambitious, however. Though he anticipated Aramco to launch the world’s largest IPO as early as 2017, the move was repeatedly delayed until the end of 2019.
Mohammed was appointed crown prince in June 2017 and wasted no time pursuing his audacious goals. Just days later he spearheaded a multicountry blockade against Qatar, not only for its friendly stance toward Iran but also for its support for rival non-state actors in the region, such as the Muslim Brotherhood. Though the three-year blockade led to a crisis for Qatar in the short-term, the country used its wealth to reorient its economy away from reliance on its fellow Gulf countries.
At times his assertiveness abroad backfired and led to international backlash. In November 2017 Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri resigned suddenly under suspicious circumstances while on a visit to Riyadh. Only after significant international pressure was Hariri allowed to return to Lebanon, where he immediately suspended his resignation. The circumstances behind the bizarre episode remained unspoken, but the world’s suspicions were reflected by Mohammed at an investment conference a year later when he cracked a joke about kidnapping Hariri.
Students save 67%! Learn more about our special academic rate today.
Learn More
About the same time as Hariri’s peculiar resignation, dozens of Saudi princes, business leaders, and senior officials were arrested. The maneuver was billed as an anti-corruption sweep. But because the detained individuals were some of the wealthiest and most powerful figures in the country—including mega-billionaire Prince al-Waleed bin Talal—many observers suspected the true purpose of the sweep was to secure power in Mohammed’s hands. Many were released only after relinquishing partial control of their businesses to the state or paying billions of dollars. The Saudi government was believed to have collected more than $100 billion from the move.
Despite the apparent shakedown, Mohammed had initially been hailed abroad as a reformer at home. Often to the chagrin of conservative Saudis and the Wahhābī religious establishment, his policies began to relax many of the strict social restrictions for which Saudi Arabia was known. In line with his effort to boost tourism in the kingdom, a ban on cinemas was reversed, and women were allowed to attend sporting events. In 2018 he loosened the public dress code slightly by stating that women do not need to wear an ʿabāyah, a long black cloak, in public. Later that year women were allowed to obtain driver’s licenses, enabling women to go to work or school or perform errands without accompaniment. Still, these steps toward liberalization appeared motivated by economic gain and not by a desire for freedom. While women were offered new choices that would allow them to earn and spend money without requiring their male guardians to provide constant consent and transportation, the government also cracked down on women activists who continued to press for more freedoms.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Mar 29, 2024 · Salman of Saudi Arabia (born December 31, 1935, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia) is king of Saudi Arabia (2015– ) and is expected to be the last of the sons of Abdulaziz ibn Saud, the founder of Saudi Arabia, to rule the country. Because Salman acceded to the throne at the advanced age of 79, his son Mohammed bin Salman has assumed many of his father ...
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Jun 27, 2018 · Mohammed bin Salman is the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, heir to King Salman. He has ushered in economic and social reforms, but also faced criticism for his foreign and domestic policies. Learn about his early life, ascension to power, plans for reform, and controversies.
Mar 3, 2022 · 1:22:26. Listen to more stories on audm. Mohammed bin Salman, the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, is 36 years old and has led his country for almost five years. His father, the 86-year-old King ...
Mar 10, 2020 · King Salman was born in 1935, the son of Saudi Arabia's founder, King Abdulaziz (usually referred to as Ibn Saud), and a favourite wife, Princess Hassa al-Sudairi.
Sep 27, 2022 · By AFP. Sept. 27, 2022. RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Saudi Arabia’s powerful crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, has been named prime minister, a post traditionally held by the king, in a government ...
People also ask
Who is King Salman?
Who is Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud?
Who is Mohammed bin Salman?
Who is Salman & what did he do at Riyadh?
