Mohammed bin Salman: How Saudi Arabia's Young Prince Quietly Took Power From His Cousin and Became the Kingdom's Most Powerful Man
For decades, Saudi Arabia followed a succession system that was different from many other monarchies. The throne normally moved among the sons of the kingdom's founder, King Abdulaziz Ibn Saud, rather than automatically passing from father to son.
That system began to change dramatically after King Salman became ruler in 2015.
At the centre of the change was his young son, Mohammed bin Salman, popularly known as MBS. Within only a few years, the prince moved from being a relatively unknown member of the huge Saudi royal family to becoming the kingdom's most powerful political figure.
His rise included the removal of his cousin, Mohammed bin Nayef, from the position of crown prince in June 2017.
Some observers have described the episode as a quiet coup inside the royal palace because of how quickly power shifted from one prince to another and because Mohammed bin Salman subsequently removed or weakened several centres of power that could have challenged him.
However, it is important to understand that Saudi Arabia officially presented the change as a lawful royal succession decision, supported by members of the Allegiance Council.
Who was Mohammed bin Nayef?
Before MBS became crown prince, Mohammed bin Nayef was one of the most powerful princes in Saudi Arabia.
He was the son of Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz, who had served for many years as Saudi Arabia's interior minister and later became crown prince.
Mohammed bin Nayef followed his father's path into security and counterterrorism.
He became particularly respected by the United States and other Western governments because of his role in fighting al-Qaeda militants inside Saudi Arabia. During the 2000s, he became one of the kingdom's most important security officials.
When King Salman came to the throne in January 2015, Mohammed bin Nayef became crown prince.
At the same time, King Salman appointed his own son, Mohammed bin Salman, as deputy crown prince.
This created an unusual situation.
Mohammed bin Nayef was the older and more experienced prince. MBS was much younger, but he was the king's son and was rapidly gaining influence.
The competition between the two men would eventually change Saudi Arabia forever.
The young prince begins his rise
Mohammed bin Salman was born in 1985 and was one of King Salman's sons.
Before becoming internationally famous, he worked closely with his father and gradually became one of his most trusted advisers.
After Salman became king, MBS received important responsibilities at an extraordinary speed.
He became defence minister while still in his 20s. He also became chairman of the Council of Economic and Development Affairs, giving him influence over the country's economy.
He was also closely involved in Saudi Arabia's foreign policy.
By 2016 and 2017, it was becoming increasingly clear that MBS was no longer simply a young prince waiting for his turn.
He was becoming a central decision-maker.
His most famous programme was Vision 2030, an ambitious plan to reduce Saudi Arabia's dependence on oil, attract investment, develop tourism and entertainment, and transform the Saudi economy.
But MBS was not only building an economic programme.
He was also building power.
The moment everything changed
On June 21, 2017, Saudi Arabia woke up to a historic announcement.
King Salman removed Mohammed bin Nayef as crown prince and appointed his son, Mohammed bin Salman, as the new crown prince.
The decision was extraordinary because it broke with the long-established pattern in which the throne moved among the sons of King Abdulaziz.
MBS was only 31 years old.
Mohammed bin Nayef was removed from all his official positions, while MBS became first in line to the throne.
According to the official announcement, the decision received the support of 31 of the 34 members of the Allegiance Council, the body created to help manage succession within the royal family. Mohammed bin Nayef also publicly pledged allegiance to the new crown prince.
But behind the official announcement was a much bigger political transformation.
A new generation of Saudi leadership had arrived.
Was it really a “quiet coup”?
This is where the story becomes controversial.
There was no military takeover.
There were no tanks surrounding Riyadh.
There was no public battle between rival armies.
Instead, the transfer of power happened inside the royal establishment.
That is why some analysts and commentators have described MBS's rise as a palace coup or quiet coup.
However, calling it a coup should be understood as a political description rather than the official Saudi explanation.
The official version was that King Salman made a royal decision to reorganise the succession and that the Allegiance Council approved it.
Nevertheless, analysts at the time noted that the change appeared sudden and that Mohammed bin Nayef's supporters inside the royal family were reportedly unhappy.
The Council on Foreign Relations wrote shortly after the change that Mohammed bin Salman had accumulated enormous power and that his promotion appeared to have happened without the broad consensus traditionally associated with major Saudi royal decisions.
The Guardian also reported that Mohammed bin Nayef had been increasingly marginalised before the announcement.
So the most accurate description is this:
MBS did not seize the Saudi throne through a traditional military coup. He won a struggle for power inside the royal family and used the authority of his father, the king, to become heir to the throne.
How did MBS become stronger after replacing his cousin?
Removing Mohammed bin Nayef was only the beginning.
MBS then moved to make sure that other powerful centres inside the Saudi government and royal family could not easily challenge him.
One of the biggest examples came later in 2017.
In November of that year, Saudi authorities arrested a number of powerful princes, businessmen and former officials in what the government described as an anti-corruption campaign.
Among those detained was Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, one of the world's most famous Saudi businessmen.
Another major figure affected was Prince Mutaib bin Abdullah, who controlled the Saudi National Guard.
The National Guard was particularly important because it represented an independent power base within the Saudi state.
After Mutaib's removal, MBS had dramatically increased his control over the country's major security and military institutions.
The Council on Foreign Relations noted that the crackdown helped MBS gain control over the main security forces, including the military, Interior Ministry forces and National Guard.
This was extremely important.
For years, power in Saudi Arabia had been distributed among different branches of the royal family.
One prince could control the Interior Ministry.
Another could control the National Guard.
Another could control the Defence Ministry.
This created a balance among powerful royal families.
MBS began dismantling that arrangement.
Why did he want so much control?
There were several reasons.
First was the economy.
Saudi Arabia had depended heavily on oil for decades. MBS argued that this model could not continue forever.
His Vision 2030 programme sought to create new industries, increase tourism, attract foreign investment and create employment for Saudi citizens.
But implementing such a huge transformation required political power.
MBS believed that the old system, where different princes controlled different parts of the state, could slow down his plans.
Second was generational change.
Saudi Arabia has a very young population.
MBS presented himself as a young leader who understood the aspirations of younger Saudis.
Under his leadership, cinemas reopened, major concerts and entertainment events became common, women were allowed to drive, and restrictions on many aspects of social life were reduced.
For many young Saudis, these changes represented a dramatic break from the past.
But political freedom did not increase in the same way
This is one of the most important contradictions in the MBS story.
Saudi Arabia became more socially open in some areas, but political opposition remained tightly restricted.
Critics of the government, activists and dissidents faced arrests and pressure.
The Saudi leadership argued that its reforms were necessary to modernise the country and strengthen the state.
Critics argued that MBS was using modernisation as part of a wider effort to concentrate power.
In other words, Saudi Arabia became more open in entertainment and some social areas while remaining highly controlled politically.
The Yemen war and regional power
MBS also became one of the key figures behind Saudi Arabia's regional strategy.
In 2015, Saudi Arabia led a military intervention in Yemen against the Houthi movement.
At the time, MBS was defence minister and became closely associated with the war.
The conflict turned into one of the Middle East's longest and most complicated wars.
Saudi Arabia also became involved in the dispute with Qatar in 2017, when Riyadh and several allies imposed a blockade on Doha.
MBS was increasingly seen as part of a new Saudi foreign-policy generation willing to confront Iran, pressure regional opponents and take bold actions.
This was very different from the traditionally cautious style associated with some previous Saudi leaders.
The Jamal Khashoggi crisis
MBS's international image suffered its biggest blow after the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in October 2018.
The murder caused international outrage and led to intense scrutiny of Saudi Arabia's leadership.
Saudi authorities denied that the crown prince ordered the killing.
However, a U.S. intelligence assessment later concluded that Mohammed bin Salman approved an operation to capture or kill Khashoggi.
MBS has denied personally ordering the murder.
The controversy remains one of the most serious chapters of his rise to power.
From crown prince to de facto ruler
Although King Salman remained the official king, MBS's influence continued to grow.
He became the main face of Saudi Arabia internationally.
He met world leaders, oversaw major economic projects and became the driving force behind Vision 2030.
In 2022, King Salman appointed Mohammed bin Salman prime minister.
That appointment formally strengthened the position he had already held in practice.
By then, there was little doubt about who controlled the direction of the Saudi government.
Reuters later described MBS as having effectively ruled Saudi Arabia since his appointment as crown prince in 2017.
The bigger historical meaning
MBS's rise is bigger than the story of one prince replacing another.
It represents the end of an old Saudi political arrangement.
For decades, the sons of King Abdulaziz shared power among themselves.
The system depended heavily on compromise between powerful royal branches.
MBS changed that model.
Power increasingly moved toward one generation and, more specifically, toward King Salman's branch of the family.
His supporters argue that this centralisation is necessary.
They believe Saudi Arabia needs a strong leader capable of moving quickly, modernising the economy and preparing the country for a future beyond oil.
His critics fear that concentrating so much authority in one person creates dangers of its own.
Either way, MBS has already changed Saudi Arabia.
The man who changed the succession
When Mohammed bin Salman entered the political spotlight, few people outside Saudi Arabia knew his name.
Within a few years, he had become defence minister, economic strategist, crown prince and eventually prime minister.
The most dramatic moment came in June 2017, when his cousin Mohammed bin Nayef lost the crown-prince position and MBS took his place.
It happened without a conventional coup, without soldiers taking over the capital and without a public battle for the throne.
Instead, the struggle happened inside the palace.
That is why some call it a quiet coup.
But the more precise description is a dramatic internal transfer of power within the Saudi royal family, carried out through royal decrees and the formal succession process, followed by a rapid concentration of political, economic and security power around MBS.
Today, Mohammed bin Salman stands as the dominant figure in Saudi Arabia.
His greatest test, however, is still ahead.
He must prove that the enormous power he has gathered can deliver the economic transformation promised by Vision 2030 while keeping Saudi Arabia stable in a region filled with wars, rivalries and political uncertainty.
The young prince who once stood behind his father has become the man standing at the centre of Saudi Arabia's future.
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