Posted Sep 27, 2022, 9:51 PMUpdated on Sep 27, 2022 at 9:52 PM
Mohammed bin Salman is consolidating his power in Saudi Arabia. The crown prince was appointed prime minister by his father, King Salman. “His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman will be the Prime Minister, by exception to the provision of Article 56 of the Basic Law on Governance and the relevant provisions contained in the Law of the Council of Ministers”, wrote this Tuesday evening the official press agency SPA.
It is the concretization of a de facto power: the title is generally held by the king. Mohammed ben Salmane, who previously held the positions of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, is the new strongman of the oil kingdom, at just 37 years old. In 2017, he was named crown prince and since then he has been prepared to succeed his weakened 86-year-old father.
A pivotal role in the crisis
“MBS” has carried out a series of reforms for five years, while brutally suppressing all opposition. He is expected to become by far the youngest of the Saudi dynasty to ascend to the throne after his father’s death.
Its influence on the international scene is growing, especially since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the ensuing energy crisis. Isolated by the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, for which he was personally implicated by US administration reports, he returned to center stage, holding the keys to the global oil market.
Replaced by his brother
Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and US President Joe Biden even honored him with a visit, Emmanuel Macron received him in Paris, trying to convince him to place more crude on the market to limit the price increase. Efforts sometimes in vain, Saudi Arabia being reluctant to pull prices down. OPEC even decided on a symbolic drop in its production quotas at its last meeting.
The crown prince is replaced as defense minister by his brother, Khaled bin Salman, previously deputy defense minister. The other main positions in the Saudi government are not affected by this reshuffle.
With AFP
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