Mohammed bin Salman

About

Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, born 31 August 1985 and known as MBS, is the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia, serving formally as Crown Prince and Prime Minister and standing as heir apparent to the throne. He is the son of King Salman and grandson of the kingdom’s founder, Ibn Saud, born as the first child of King Salman and his third wife, Fahda bint Falah Al Hithlain.

After earning a law degree from King Saud University, he became an advisor to his father in 2009, was named deputy crown prince and defense minister when Salman ascended the throne in 2015, and was elevated to crown prince in 2017, later succeeding his father as prime minister in 2022.

Since 2017, Mohammed has driven sweeping social and economic reforms, curbing the religious police’s authority, expanding women’s rights, lifting the ban on female drivers in 2018, and loosening the male-guardianship system in 2019.

His government has simultaneously drawn criticism for continuing to imprison women’s rights activists on terrorism charges, among other human rights concerns. His signature Saudi Vision 2030 initiative aims to diversify the kingdom’s economy and reduce its dependence on oil, reshaping Saudi Arabia’s global economic and geopolitical positioning.