Mohammed bin Salman al-Saud: The Hothead Who Would Be King

THE GUARDIAN: The new heir to the Saudi kingdom is a man with vast ambitions, but it is his international aspirations that are causing the most concern

The sudden elevation of Mohammed bin Salman to the position of crown prince and heir apparent to his father, King Salman of Saudi Arabia, is a welcome surprise for many Saudis. It is also a matter of deep concern for some of the kingdom’s neighbours, notably Iran, which is locked in a region-wide power struggle with its Arab arch-rival that increasingly risks sucking in the US and Russia.

For younger Saudis frustrated by the kingdom’s hidebound traditionalism and inflexible religious laws, Prince Mohammed is seen as a reform-minded new broom who could sweep the country to a brighter, more open future. For critics at home and abroad, he is a dangerous and inexperienced firebrand who could undermine stability and lead Saudi Arabia to unintentional disaster. » | Simon Tisdall | Sunday, June 25, 2017

Saudi King Ousts Nephew for Son - BBC News

Saudi Arabia's king has appointed his son Mohammed bin Salman as crown prince - replacing his nephew, Mohammed bin Nayef, as first in line to the throne.

King Salman's decree also means Prince Mohammed bin Salman, 31, will become deputy prime minister while continuing as defence minister.

Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, 57, has been removed from his role as head of domestic security, state media say.

He has pledged allegiance to the new crown prince, his younger cousin. Why is this significant?

Mohammed bin Salman Named Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince

Mohammed bin Salman named Saudi Arabia's crown prince.

Saudi Arabia's King Salman has appointed his son, Mohammed bin Salman, as heir, in a major reshuffle announced early on Wednesday.

A royal decree removed Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, a 57-year-old nephew of the king, as next-in-line to the throne and replaced him with Mohammed bin Salman, 31, who was previously the deputy crown prince.

Al Jazeera's Moreana Hond reports.

Why This Saudi Prince Is Known As 'Mr. Everything'

Bloomberg Businessweek's reports on Saudi Arabia's Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Philips speaks on "Bloomberg Markets."

Prince Mohammed bin Salman: Naïve, Arrogant Saudi Prince Is Playing with Fire

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is the powerful
29-year-old favourite son of the ageing King Salman

THE INDEPENDENT: German intelligence memo shows the threat from the kingdom’s headstrong defence minister

At the end of last year the BND, the German intelligence agency, published a remarkable one-and-a-half-page memo saying that Saudi Arabia had adopted “an impulsive policy of intervention”. It portrayed Saudi defence minister and Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman – the powerful 29-year-old favourite son of the ageing King Salman, who is suffering from dementia – as a political gambler who is destabilising the Arab world through proxy wars in Yemen and Syria. » | Patrick Cockburn | Sunday, January 10, 2016

Saudi Royal Calls for Regime Change in Riyadh

Saudi Arabia's King Salman. One Saudi royal claims that the
king's son, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, 'is ruling the country'.

THE GUARDIAN: Plea by grandson of state’s founder comes as falling oil prices, war in Yemen and loss of faith in authority buffet leadership of King Salman

A senior Saudi prince has launched an unprecedented call for change in the country’s leadership, as it faces its biggest challenge in years in the form of war, plummeting oil prices and criticism of its management of Mecca, scene of last week’s hajj tragedy.

The prince, one of the grandsons of the state’s founder, Abdulaziz Ibn Saud, has told the Guardian that there is disquiet among the royal family – and among the wider public – at the leadership of King Salman, who acceded the throne in January.

The prince, who is not named for security reasons, wrote two letters earlier this month calling for the king to be removed.

“The king is not in a stable condition and in reality the son of the king [Mohammed bin Salman] is ruling the kingdom,” the prince said. “So four or possibly five of my uncles will meet soon to discuss the letters. They are making a plan with a lot of nephews and that will open the door. A lot of the second generation is very anxious.”

“The public are also pushing this very hard, all kinds of people, tribal leaders,” the prince added. “They say you have to do this or the country will go to disaster.” » | Hugh Miles in Cairo | Monday, September 28, 2015