7/3/2021 Mohammed bin Salman: The Saudi Prince – House of Saud

 HOUSE OF SAUD

Mohammed bin Salman: The Saudi

Prince
May 24, 2021

From making headlines worldwide for his stunning

political achievements to purchasing a Da Vinci
painting for $450M, Crown Prince Mohammed Bin
Salman’s position as ruler of Saudi Arabia has made a
name himself across the world. Yet, he was born to the
sixth son of the 25th son of the former Saudi King, 
https://houseofsaud.com/mbs-the-saudi-prince/ 1/35
7/3/2021 Mohammed bin Salman: The Saudi Prince – House of Saud

meaning his life was not meantHOUSE

 OFthe
to become SAUD
Middle
East leader. So, how, in fact, did he reach the de-facto
throne that he sits upon today?

Appointed as Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince in 2017,

Mohammed Bin Salman, known to the Western world
as “MBS,” spearheaded Saudi Arabia into a new era of
prosperity and wealth. The Middle Eastern country is
known for two things, as one of the religious centres of
the Islamic world and for its richness in oil. The young
Saudi Prince assumed a consequential responsibility
that gave him an unparalleled level of power in the
Kingdom, which led to a mix of both controversy and
popularity. His father, King Salman bin Abdulaziz of
Saudi Arabia, has played a crucial role in developing his
son’s skill in foreign affairs, rank, and stature among
world leaders and other Saudi Royals.

Childhood and Education

Saudi Prince Mohammed Bin Salman was born August
31, 1985, in the Saudi capital, Riyadh. His father, King
Salman bin Abdulaziz, was governor of Riyadh at the
time before becoming King later on. His mother is the
King’s second wife, known as Princess Fahda. The
princess already had some claim to fame since her
grandfather was one of the prominent leaders of the

https://houseofsaud.com/mbs-the-saudi-prince/ 2/35
7/3/2021 Mohammed bin Salman: The Saudi Prince – House of Saud

 HOUSE
tribes that shaped Saudi history. OF SAUD
The Ajman tribe
contributed a great deal to the founding of the modern
Saudi state, thanks to Princess Fahda’s grandfather
Rakan Bin Hithalayn. Fahda bore six sons to the soon-
to-be King, meaning the Saudi Crown Prince grew up
as the eldest of six brothers, who all play some role in
Saudi Arabia’s business and political front. King
Salman bin Abdulaziz played a key role in the young
Prince Mohammed’s education, ensuring he had the
very best educators available. Very little is revealed to
the public about his childhood. The Saudi ruler and
heir to the throne seldom speak about his upbringing.
Luckily those who encountered him as a child have
divulged information about his early life. “Mohammed
also seemed more interested in spending time with
palace guards instead of following my lessons. As the
oldest of his siblings, he seemed to be allowed to do as
he pleased,” said Rachid Sekkai to BBC Arabic about
his experience tutoring the Crown Prince in 1996.
Royals and others who knew him early on in his life
told stories of Mohammed Bin Salman’s short temper
as a child. He often misbehaved and threw fits of rage.
Once in his teens, he dressed up as a police officer and
went to a mall in Riyadh to boast, yet no one dared to
stop him since he was the governor’s son. “As a prince,
MBS grew up steeped in inherited and unearned
privilege, socializing in palaces, shuttled about in 
https://houseofsaud.com/mbs-the-saudi-prince/ 3/35
7/3/2021 Mohammed bin Salman: The Saudi Prince – House of Saud

 HOUSE
convoys, and fussed over by nannies, OF SAUD
tutors, and
retainers,” wrote Ben Hubbard in his 2020 biography,”
MBS: The Rise to Power of Mohammed bin Salman.”.
Though he could have easily left the country to study
abroad, Mohammed Bin Salman chose to stay in
Riyadh for his studies. He studied Law at King Saud
University and focused himself on aspiring to be a
leader one day. One of his classmates revealed that the
Crown Prince once said he wanted to become the next
Alexander the Great. In 2007, he graduated from King
Saud University fourth in his class and continued to
climb up the ladder of the mass elite in Saudi Arabia. A
bachelor’s degree in Law propelled the Prince to work
at the Bureau of Experts for two years.

Early Career
Soon, the Kingdom’s future heir to the King began to
build his wealth, founding new firms and creating a
non-profit organization meant to develop
entrepreneurship in the country. He also began a
family of his own, marrying Princess Sarah Al Saud in
2008, having three children together. Two years after
graduating, the Saudi Prince became an advisor to his
father, who still held the role of governor of Riyadh and
later became Minister of Defense. His father’s
tremendous rise in power and control eventually gave 
https://houseofsaud.com/mbs-the-saudi-prince/ 4/35
7/3/2021 Mohammed bin Salman: The Saudi Prince – House of Saud

 HOUSE
him the title of the Crown Prince OF
in 2012, SAUD
before his
son assumed the role just a few years later.
Furthermore, the Prince began to assume far more
important roles, becoming appointed the President of
the Crown Prince’s court and named a State Minister.
In 2015, King Abdullah died at the age of 90 from
pneumonia, which meant that they had to choose a
successor to the throne. Fortunately, Mohammed’s
father was chosen as the next King, which opened the
door for his desire to elevate to the top of Saudi royalty.
One of King Abdulaziz’s first actions as King was to
appoint his son as the Defense Minister, which his
father had held a few years earlier. In April of 2015,
King Salman appointed his nephew Muhammad bin
Nayef as Crown Prince and his son Mohammed bin
Salman as Deputy Crown Prince.

The Youngest Minister of Defense in

the World
Within weeks of his promotion to Minister of Defense,
Prince Mohammed bin Salman launched Operation
Decisive Storm, with full backing of his father Kind
Salman, providing Yemen’s government and its
President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi with military
support, including thousands of soldiers and weapons.
The objective was to crush the Houthi rebels against 
https://houseofsaud.com/mbs-the-saudi-prince/ 5/35
7/3/2021 Mohammed bin Salman: The Saudi Prince – House of Saud

HOUSE
the current government and wanted
 OF back
to take SAUD
control over Yemen. Saudi officials were worried that
Houthi victory in the civil war would give Iran a strong
influence on the country’s southern border since it is
claimed that Iran has consistently backed the Houthi
rebels. Iran is considered Saudi Arabia’s rivals in the
Middle East, meaning Salman’s plans for involvement
were crucial. A coalition was formed with other Muslim
countries in the region, such as Kuwait, United Arab
Emirates, and Egypt, while also receiving logistical and
intelligence support from allied powers like the United
States and France. The war between Yemen’s
government and rebels lasts to this day, resulting in a
stalemate with no end in sight for the Defence Minister
and Saudi Kingdom. Both sides are continuing to find
ways to hold power in the torn and famished country.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s position as
Defense Minister was only a road stop on his rapid rise
to power in Saudi Arabia. Alongside his current
position as de-facto leader, he still holds the position to
this day, along with his other authoritative duties.

Becoming the Crown Prince

Mohammed bin Salman
On June 21, 2017, Prince Mohammed bin Salman
assumed the role he spent working towards as the 
https://houseofsaud.com/mbs-the-saudi-prince/ 6/35
7/3/2021 Mohammed bin Salman: The Saudi Prince – House of Saud

Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia.HOUSE

 OF SAUD
After removing his
predecessor and MBS’s arch rival, former Crown Prince
Mohammed Bin Nayef, King Salman appointed his son
to the position. In addition, he still holds the role of
Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister. Years of
preparation and rise to power prepared the newly
appointed Crown Prince for the role as the face of the
Islamic world, meaning he wasted absolutely no time in
bringing a newfound era of transformation to Saudi
Arabia. The new position gave the young MBS instant
unlimited access to the Kingdom’s resources. On that
same day, the White House and the U.S. president,
Donald Trump, called Mohammed bin Salman to
congratulate him on the achievement. However, other
U.S. officials had incited a course of discussion
regarding how the United States should approach its
relationship with Saudi Arabia. In the years to come,
MBS’s relationship with the White House would only
grow tenser, as Trump’s U.S. Ambassador to the United
Nations Nikki Haley commented right before the
Prince’s appointing. “We don’t support Saudi Arabia
when it comes to human rights,” said Haley on the
American news show Face the Nation. “They know that
we don’t condone some of the things that they do. We’ll
always be vocal about that.” Haley’s words soon
beckoned a foreshadowing of the strain to come in U.S-
Saudi relations. These words came into truth as news 
https://houseofsaud.com/mbs-the-saudi-prince/ 7/35
7/3/2021 Mohammed bin Salman: The Saudi Prince – House of Saud

 HOUSE
emerged in November 2017 about OF SAUD
an ongoing purge
carried out by Saudi Government under bin Salman
and his father’s jurisdiction. The newly chosen Crown
Prince Mohammed bin Salman showed an unequivocal
approach to both domestic and foreign affairs, and
vowed to eliminate anyone that posed a potential threat
to his power and authority. Throughout a weekend in
the first week of November, eleven princes, four
ministers, and dozens of former ministers were
arrested on corruption charges. One of these arrests
produced a shock throughout the world, as many
realized that Mohammed bin Salman would not allow
anyone to cross his path to power. Renowned Saudi
billionaire investor Prince Alwaleed faced the charges
of corruption against the Kingdom. He is considered
one of the world’s wealthiest men, having owned major
shares in companies such as Apple, Twitter, and 21st
Century Fox. This became one of the many
controversies the Crown Prince involved himself in
since assuming his role.

Controversies
In October of 2018, news spread across the world over
the death of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who
was an outspoken critic of the Kingdom and was exiled
from the country in 2017 following Crown Prince 
https://houseofsaud.com/mbs-the-saudi-prince/ 8/35
7/3/2021 Mohammed bin Salman: The Saudi Prince – House of Saud

 HOUSEHeOF
Mohammed bin Salman’s crackdown. SAUD
had found
refuge in the United States, working as a columnist for
the Washington Post, where he routinely criticized
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s policies. Found
dead outside a Saudi consulate in Istanbul, both
Turkish and US government officials demanded
explanations. Khashoggi was killed in a reported
botched attempt to bring back the journalist to Saudi
Arabia. The Saudi Crown Prince and Saudi government
both claimed to have no involvement in perpetrating
the murder. Saudi officials quickly initiated a judicial
process, sentencing those responsible to death and
sending others to prison for their involvement. Though
the Saudi Authorities maintain a zero culpability stance
in the killing, the international community is convinced
that the Saudi royal family orchestrated, or at least, had
a key role, in the crime, with a key US intelligence
report contradicting the official palace line. US
Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced a travel
ban on 76 Saudi individuals, whose names were not
released, and who were “believed to have been engaged
in threatening dissidents overseas, including but not
limited to the Khashoggi killing.”

While this may be the most famed controversy that

brought the Saudi Prince’s name to the front covers of
world news, and drew criticism from foreign 
https://houseofsaud.com/mbs-the-saudi-prince/ 9/35
7/3/2021 Mohammed bin Salman: The Saudi Prince – House of Saud

HOUSE
governments, it certainly was not
 OFone.
the only SAUD
Mohammed bin Salman convinced allied Middle East
powers to begin a trade blockade against Qatar, forced
the resignation of Lebanese Prime Minister Saad
Hariri, and ordered the alleged hacking of Amazon
CEO Jeff Bezos’ phone. He drew further ire when in
March 2018, he described Turkey as part of a “triangle
of evil” alongside the Iran Muslim Brotherhood.

Wealth and Public Image

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman owns the largest
shares in the most valuable company globally, Saudi
Aramco, also known as Saudi Arabian Oil Company.
It’s officially the world’s largest oil producer, at a
valuation of $2 trillion. The Prince is no stranger to
displaying his wealth to the public, especially in 2015
when he purchased Chateau Louis XIV for $300
million. Considered to be the most expensive home
globally, it is located near Versailles, France, and covers
50,000 acres of land. Even the most expensive painting
in history, Leonardo da Vinci’s Salvator Mundi,
purchased by the Crown Prince for $450 million, is
used for his benefit. It hangs inside his superyacht,
titled ‘Serene,’ which he bought for $500 million after
Bill Gates spent summers leasing the yacht before the
Saudi Prince claimed rights to it. Reports estimate the 
https://houseofsaud.com/mbs-the-saudi-prince/ 10/35
7/3/2021 Mohammed bin Salman: The Saudi Prince – House of Saud

royal family’s wealth at almostHOUSE

 OFand
1.4 trillion, SAUD
Mohammed bin Salman’s net worth stands at $18
billion, with his earnings varying from $1-5 billion
today. In comparison, the U.K. royal family’s wealth
only totals around $88 billion. Many members of the
royal family, including bin Salman, have become
stakeholders in powerful Silicon Valley companies and
are owners of famous sports teams around the world.

Modernizing Saudi Arabia

While the 35-Year-Old Crown Prince has been
criticized by some human rights activists, he has
become revered for his efforts in bringing reforms to
Saudi Arabia’s Islamic traditions, and has in fact
reduced, if not removed, the Kingdom’s previous
human rights abuses. Once known for their backward
policies towards gender equality, restrictions have
loosened at the will of bin Salman. Women are now
allowed to drive, work or study without any male
accompaniment. Furthermore, the dress code is now
also relaxed as now women are not forced to wear an
abaya, a long black cloak, in public. Citizens can now
attend the cinema and other forms of entertainment.
Flogging as a form of punishment became abolished,
meaning the Middle Eastern power was closing in on
decades behind in liberalizing society. Lastly, the 
https://houseofsaud.com/mbs-the-saudi-prince/ 11/35
7/3/2021 Mohammed bin Salman: The Saudi Prince – House of Saud

HOUSE
Crown Prince conceived a future
 OFArabia
for Saudi SAUD in
Vision 2030, which was announced in 2016 that laid
out the country’s progress for the next 15 years. The
core is meant to promote economic growth and
diversification. However, a recent score by Bloomberg
Economics revealed that the economy has failed to
meet its goals thus far. Nonetheless, Saudi Arabia’s
soon-to-be King continues to revel in power as a
billionaire and ruler, while only 35 years of age with
many years to come as one of the faces of power in the
Middle East, if not the world.

     


https://houseofsaud.com/mbs-the-saudi-prince/ 12/35
7/3/2021 Mohammed bin Salman: The Saudi Prince – House of Saud

 HOUSE OF SAUD


https://houseofsaud.com/mbs-the-saudi-prince/ 13/35
7/3/2021 Mohammed bin Salman: The Saudi Prince – House of Saud

 HOUSE OF SAUD


https://houseofsaud.com/mbs-the-saudi-prince/ 14/35
7/3/2021 Mohammed bin Salman: The Saudi Prince – House of Saud

 HOUSE OF SAUD


https://houseofsaud.com/mbs-the-saudi-prince/ 15/35
7/3/2021 Mohammed bin Salman: The Saudi Prince – House of Saud

 HOUSE OF SAUD


https://houseofsaud.com/mbs-the-saudi-prince/ 16/35
7/3/2021 Mohammed bin Salman: The Saudi Prince – House of Saud

 HOUSE OF SAUD


https://houseofsaud.com/mbs-the-saudi-prince/ 17/35
7/3/2021 Mohammed bin Salman: The Saudi Prince – House of Saud

 HOUSE OF SAUD


https://houseofsaud.com/mbs-the-saudi-prince/ 18/35
7/3/2021 Mohammed bin Salman: The Saudi Prince – House of Saud

 HOUSE OF SAUD


https://houseofsaud.com/mbs-the-saudi-prince/ 19/35
7/3/2021 Mohammed bin Salman: The Saudi Prince – House of Saud

 HOUSE OF SAUD


https://houseofsaud.com/mbs-the-saudi-prince/ 20/35
7/3/2021 Mohammed bin Salman: The Saudi Prince – House of Saud

 HOUSE OF SAUD


https://houseofsaud.com/mbs-the-saudi-prince/ 21/35
7/3/2021 Mohammed bin Salman: The Saudi Prince – House of Saud

 HOUSE OF SAUD


https://houseofsaud.com/mbs-the-saudi-prince/ 22/35
7/3/2021 Mohammed bin Salman: The Saudi Prince – House of Saud

 HOUSE OF SAUD


https://houseofsaud.com/mbs-the-saudi-prince/ 23/35
7/3/2021 Mohammed bin Salman: The Saudi Prince – House of Saud

 HOUSE OF SAUD


https://houseofsaud.com/mbs-the-saudi-prince/ 24/35
7/3/2021 Mohammed bin Salman: The Saudi Prince – House of Saud

 HOUSE OF SAUD


https://houseofsaud.com/mbs-the-saudi-prince/ 25/35
7/3/2021 Mohammed bin Salman: The Saudi Prince – House of Saud

 HOUSE OF SAUD


https://houseofsaud.com/mbs-the-saudi-prince/ 26/35
7/3/2021 Mohammed bin Salman: The Saudi Prince – House of Saud

 HOUSE OF SAUD


https://houseofsaud.com/mbs-the-saudi-prince/ 27/35
7/3/2021 Mohammed bin Salman: The Saudi Prince – House of Saud

 HOUSE OF SAUD


https://houseofsaud.com/mbs-the-saudi-prince/ 28/35
7/3/2021 Mohammed bin Salman: The Saudi Prince – House of Saud

 HOUSE OF SAUD

PREVIOUS STORY
Saudi Arabian
Saudi Royals Olympic Committee
sanction air strikes on elect Prince Khaled
Yemen capital bin Alwaleed elected
d

Latest from Latest News


https://houseofsaud.com/mbs-the-saudi-prince/ 29/35
7/3/2021 Mohammed bin Salman: The Saudi Prince – House of Saud

 HOUSE OF SAUD

Mohammed bin Salman agrees oil deal with Pakistan

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has made a historic deal to restart oil aid
to Pakistan worth at


https://houseofsaud.com/mbs-the-saudi-prince/ 30/35
7/3/2021 Mohammed bin Salman: The Saudi Prince – House of Saud

 HOUSE OF SAUD

Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee elect Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed elected to Board
The Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee (SAOC) have elected Khaled bin Alwaleed
bin Talal Al Saud to


https://houseofsaud.com/mbs-the-saudi-prince/ 31/35
7/3/2021 Mohammed bin Salman: The Saudi Prince – House of Saud

 HOUSE OF SAUD

Mohammed bin Salman ends rift with Qatar

Mohammed bin Salman has taken the bold step of forgiving the Al Thani Royal
Family for


https://houseofsaud.com/mbs-the-saudi-prince/ 32/35
7/3/2021 Mohammed bin Salman: The Saudi Prince – House of Saud

 HOUSE OF SAUD

US approves sale of $290m weapons to Saudi Royal Family

The US government has approved the sale of $290m in arms to the Saudi Royal
Family in


https://houseofsaud.com/mbs-the-saudi-prince/ 33/35
7/3/2021 Mohammed bin Salman: The Saudi Prince – House of Saud

 HOUSE OF SAUD

Oil tanker terror attack in Jeddah

An oil tanker was attacked on Sunday night while harboured at Jeddah port’s fuel
terminal by

About this website Saudi Royal Family on

Twitter
Press
Saudi Royal Family on
Contact us
Bloglovin
Cookie Policy
Saudi Royal Family on
Sitemap Facebook


https://houseofsaud.com/mbs-the-saudi-prince/ 34/35
7/3/2021 Mohammed bin Salman: The Saudi Prince – House of Saud

 HOUSE OF SAUD

Type & hit enter 

Copyright HouseofSaud.com 2021


https://houseofsaud.com/mbs-the-saudi-prince/ 35/35