Mohammed bin Salman has also been named the Saudi's deputy Prime Minister
, 31, has been named as the
new crown prince of Saudi Arabia by his father - King Salman. The royal decree issued by the official Saudi Press Agency on Wednesday confirms that Mohammed bin Salman, also known as MBS, is the next descender to the Saudi throne. He has also been named the deputy prime minister and continues to hold his position the defence and other portfolios. Meanwhile, previous crown prince, 57-year-old
Mohammed bin Nayef has been fired.
So, who exactly is Mohammed bin Salman and what's the story behind his meteoric rise? Here's a quick look at his detailed profile:
1. 31-year-old Prince Mohammed is King Salman's son from his third wife Fahda bint Falah bin Sultan. Unlike his siblings, he did not go abroad to study, instead choosing to be beside his father. The Prince studied in Riyadh schools and later pursued law from King Saud University, reportedly emerging fourth in class. He worked with several private and state bodies for the next few years.
2. Prince Mohammed first came in to international limelight after King Salman, who ascended on the throne two years ago, named him the deputy crown prince, meaning second-in-line to the throne. But this is not his first public profile. He became the special advisor to his father, when the later was still a governor. In 2013, when King Salman was a Crown prince, he was named head of the royal court.
3. His appointment as the crown prince is being viewed as a significant move by many. Traditionally, Saudi Arabia has been ruled by kings aged 70 or above. The appointment is a message to the young Saudi generation, more than half of which is under 25, that things are changing.
4. His rise also comes at a time when the kingdom is facing international criticism over its role in the Yemen crisis. Interestingly, one of Prince Mohammed's first action as the defence minister in 2015 was to launch a military campaign in collaboration with other Arab nations against Yemen forcing President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi into exile.
5. Prince Mohammed has also been named as of the key movers behind Qatar's isolation. Earlier this month, few Gulf nations - including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, United Arab Emirates and Bahrain -
cut-off all diplomatic ties with Qatar, accusing it of supporting terrorism.
6. Prince Mohammed is the chief architect behind "Vision 2030" - an ambitious economic and socio-development plan to help the Saudi reduce its dependence on oil to move to other sectors and slash unemployment by 2030. The plan also aims to help Saudi women constitute 30 percent of the workforce by 2030.