Saudi king appoints son as heir

Until his father Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud became Saudi Arabia’s seventh king in January 2015, few people outside the kingdom had ever heard of Prince Mohammed

• He is currently defence minister, giving him command of one of the world’s biggest arms budgets and making him ultimately responsible for Saudi Arabia’s military adventure in Yemen
• Prince Mohammed chairs the supreme board of Aramco, making him the first member of the ruling family to directly oversee the state oil company, long regarded as the preserve of commoner technocrats
• But perhaps most importantly, he is the gatekeeper to his father, King Salman, who in Saudi Arabia’s absolute monarchy retains the final say in any major decision of state

‘SOFT COUP’, SAYS IRAN

Iranian state media called the appointment of Mohammed Bin Salman to the position of crown prince as a “soft coup”. The move is likely to rattle Iran’s leadership, which has been critical of comments by Prince Mohammed that the “battle” should be taken into Iran. Shia-majority Iran and Sunni-majority Saudi Arabia compete for power and influence across the region. They support opposite sides in Syria and Yemen.

Tension between the two countries increased last month when US President Donald Trump visited Saudi Arabia and took a bellicose stance against Iran.

Saudi Arabia’s King Salman made his son next in line to the throne handing the 31-year-old sweeping powers.

He replaces his cousin, Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, a veteran security chief who led the Saudi campaign against Islamic State and Al-Qaida at a time when Riyadh faces heightened tensions with Qatar and Iran and is locked into a war in Yemen.

Mohammed bin Salman’s appointment may make Saudi policy more hawkish against long-time enemy Iran and other Gulf rivals such as Qatar, increasing volatility in an already unstable region, analysts say.

A favourite son of his elderly father, his youth and dynamism have also appealed to many younger Saudis, who constitute the biggest proportion of society and are often eager for change. After decades in which the same small group of princes handled Saudi affairs on the world stage, Prince Mohammed has led diplomacy with global powers, reportedly charming both US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Mohammed bin Salman was appointed crown prince and deputy prime minister by royal decree. He retains the defence, oil and economy portfolios.