Bin Salman, Mohammed (1985-…), is the crown prince (heir to the throne) and prime minister of Saudi Arabia. He is often referred to by his initials, MBS. Bin Salman is the son of Salman, the Saudi king. Saudi Arabia is a monarchy under the Al Saud ruling family.
Mohammed bin Salman bin Abd al Aziz (also spelled Abdulaziz) Al Saud was born on Aug. 31, 1985, in Riyadh, the Saudi capital. He was educated in Riyadh and holds a law degree from the city’s King Saud University. Bin Salman entered government service in 2007. He has served as an adviser to the Council of Ministers and as a special adviser to his father. In 2011, bin Salman established the MiSK Foundation, a nonprofit organization that works with Saudi youths and encourages business development.
After his father became king of Saudi Arabia in January 2015, bin Salman was named defense minister and deputy prime minister. Bin Salman’s uncle, Muqrin bin Abdul Aziz, was initially named crown prince, followed by bin Salman’s cousin Mohammed bin Nayef. Bin Salman replaced bin Nayef as heir to the throne in 2017. Bin Salman has since encouraged moderate liberal reforms in the ultra-conservative country. In 2018, he lifted a ban preventing Saudi women from driving, and he allowed motion pictures—also previously banned—to be shown in Saudi cinemas.
As defense minister, bin Salman organized a military campaign against Houthi rebels in neighboring Yemen, where civil war had raged at times for many years. Most Houthis belong to the Shī`ite division of Islam. Bin Salman and most Saudis are Sunnis, the larger branch of Islam. The two divisions are often in conflict. In 2017, bin Salman cut relations with neighboring Qatar, an emirate (state) he considered too friendly to the Shī`ah government of Iran. Relations between Saudi Arabia and Qatar were restored in 2021. Bin Salman has detained many prominent Saudis on corruption charges that are widely considered to be doubtful. The charges have served to weaken his political opposition. Bin Salman became prime minister of Saudi Arabia in 2022.
