Saudi Arabia's King Salman makes his son next in line to the throne
Mohammed bin Salman's appointment as crown prince marks a swift rise to power for a man little known to Saudis before 2015.
Wednesday 21 June 2017 20:54, UK
Saudi Arabia has a new heir to the throne after its ruler changed his line of succession.
King Salman has appointed his 31-year-old son Mohammed bin Salman, known as MbS for short, as crown prince and first in line to the throne of the fabulously rich and powerful desert kingdom.
The move will have wide-ranging implications for Saudi Arabia. It shifts the centre of gravity for power in the kingdom from the old to the young.
And it puts the reins of power into the hands of a man who has courted controversy by pushing both a more aggressive foreign policy and plans for internal reform.
Until now, the succession favoured Saudi Arabia's interior minister and security chief, Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, who has now been stripped of much of his power.
The move continues the swift rise to power of MbS, who was little heard of before his father's accession to the throne in 2015. His father favoured him over other more senior and more experienced members of the royal court.
He has been defence minister and in charge of a wide-ranging economic portfolio.
MbS has adopted an uncompromising approach to regional diplomacy, ruling out engagement with Iran, isolating neighbour Qatar and prosecuting a brutal war in Yemen that has killed thousands of civilians and utterly failed to achieve its military ends.
He is also thought to have led efforts to court the favours of Donald Trump in the US President's recent visit to Saudi Arabia.
The seduction has paid off for now, with Trump's apparent support of Saudi-led efforts to ostracise Qatar.
MbS is popular among many young people in Saudi Arabia for championing internal reforms, opening up the deeply conservative country with his promise to modernise the economy.
His appointment means greater certainty about the direction of the country since he will likely rule with absolute power on his accession for decades to come.
It suggests the kingdom is set on a path of economic reform and gradual liberalisation. MbS is among those seeking to reduce his country's reliance on oil.
The move was expected at some point but not so soon. King Salman clearly hopes it will end talk of a succession struggle and pave the way for a smooth transition of power when he dies.