Who is Mohammed bin Salman
Who is Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) is the Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia. He is the son of King Salman and one of the most influential political leaders in the Middle East. He is also a central figure in Saudi Arabia's efforts to transform its economy and society.
MBS is the most powerful and influential figure in Saudi Arabia today, driving both its modernization and its most contentious policies.
Why is he so famous?
Saudi Arabia is a monarchy, meaning the country is ruled by a royal family. King Salman is the reigning king. Mohammed bin Salman is the Crown Prince, meaning he is the designated heir to the throne.
He is also the Prime Minister and exercises extensive influence over the country's government, economy, security and foreign policy. In practice, MBS is widely regarded as Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler, even though his father remains king.
What does he actually do?
Economic transformation — Vision 2030
MBS launched Saudi Vision 2030 in 2016. Its goal is to reduce the country's dependence on oil by expanding tourism, entertainment, technology, investment and other industries. Major projects include NEOM and The Line.
Social changes
Under his leadership, Saudi Arabia has expanded entertainment, reopened cinemas, developed tourism and increased opportunities for women to participate in public life and the workforce. These changes have significantly altered everyday life in the kingdom.
International power
Saudi Arabia is a major oil producer and an important player in Middle Eastern politics. MBS has a significant role in its relationships with the United States, China, Iran and other regional powers.
MBS' Best Achievements
MBS's most significant achievement is arguably pushing Saudi Arabia to become less dependent on oil while opening up parts of Saudi society.
His Most Cruel / Controversial Actions
The Murder of Jamal Khashoggi (Oct 2, 2018).
Khashoggi was a Saudi journalist and critic of the Saudi government. He was lured into the Saudi consulate in Istanbul and was tortured and killed by a Saudi team inside the building. His killing triggered international outrage.
The Yemen War (began March 2015)
As Defence Minister, MBS led the Saudi-led military intervention. UN called it the world's worst humanitarian crisis as 377,000+ total deaths (UN 2024 estimate — including direct fighting and starvation/disease).
Millions displaced and facing food insecurity. Airstrikes repeatedly hit markets, hospitals, schools, and civilian gatherings — including a school bus full of children. Not only that, blockades restricted life-saving food, fuel, and medicine from entering.
The 2017 Ritz-Carlton detention campaign
Hundreds of princes, officials and businesspeople were detained in Riyadh during an officially described anti-corruption campaign. Human Rights Watch and other analysts reported arbitrary detention, abusive treatment and pressure to surrender assets. The government said the campaign targeted corruption; concerns focused on the methods used and the lack of due process.
Imprisonment of critics and activists
People have received lengthy prison sentences for peaceful online expression, including posts on social media. Women's rights activists have also faced detention and travel restrictions. The contradiction is striking: some women's rights reforms advanced while activists who had campaigned for change were punished.
Arresting uncles, cousins, and the former Crown Prince; removed anyone blocking him
Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) has had several of his royal relatives, including his uncle and cousins, detained as he consolidated power. Some detainees were held for long periods, and in certain cases their whereabouts were not publicly disclosed.
Which members of the royal family were arrested
Mohammed bin Nayef — his cousin
He was Crown Prince before MBS replaced him in 2017. Reuters reported that he was detained in March 2020 amid allegations of a coup plot. Subsequent reporting described restrictions on his movements and access to others. His current circumstances are not independently clear from the sources I found.
Ahmed bin Abdulaziz — his uncle
He was also reportedly detained in March 2020. He was a senior royal who had opposed MBS's elevation to Crown Prince in 2017. The reported allegations concerned a possible coup, but the public evidence about the alleged plot was limited.
Turki bin Abdullah — his cousin
He was detained during the 2017 anti-corruption campaign. Human Rights Watch reported in 2019 that he remained in detention without a clear legal basis. I could not verify his present status from the available sources.
Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz bin Salman — another cousin
He and his father were detained in January 2018. Human-rights organization DAWN reported that both were moved to an undisclosed location in November 2020 and that family visits resumed in October 2021.
Under MBS, Saudi Arabia executed more people than other rulers in the country
Data from human rights organizations shows that since MBS became crown prince in 2017 and assumed actual power, Saudi Arabia's annual execution numbers have repeatedly hit record highs, and the total number of executions during King Salman's reign has exceeded 2,000.
However, he has not executed more people than every other Middle Eastern ruler: Iran's execution total is substantially higher.
Amnesty International's data shows that Saudi Arabia's execution numbers ranked third globally in 2024, after China and Iran . Within the Middle East, Iran's annual executions (at least 972 in 2024) far exceed Saudi Arabia's .
Saudi-Houthi War 2026
As of 27 October 2026, Saudi Arabia is facing a serious escalation in its conflict with Yemen's Houthi movement, and reports say Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has been moving between heavily guarded royal residences equipped with bunkers.
As of 27 October 2026, the situation is serious. Reuters reported on 26 October that 4,071 of 4,736 scheduled flights at Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport had been cancelled between 8 and 25 October — approximately 86%. The airport partially reopened, but disruptions continued.
A missile attack on Riyadh's airport on 10 October killed 13 people and injured hundreds, according to Reuters. The Houthis have continued threatening the airport.
Saudi Arabia has intercepted numerous missiles and drones, but repeated attacks put pressure on its defensive systems and interceptor supplies. Interception does not guarantee that every projectile will be stopped.
Flight cancellations have disrupted tourism, business travel and major investment events. This threatens MBS's Vision 2030 ambitions to make Saudi Arabia a global destination for business and tourism.
No comments:
Post a Comment