At 36, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) has made a name for himself on the world stage as the de facto leader of Saudi Arabia. The crown prince is the son of King Salman bin Abdulaziz, who ascended the throne following the death of his half-brother, King Abdullah, in 2015.
MBS quickly rose in the ranks thanks to his aging father, from a minister of defense to handling day-to-day responsibilities for his father as crown prince.
The crown prince aimed to modernize the kingdom, but his reign continues to be plagued by controversy.
In 2018, the CIA concluded that MBS called the order to kill Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
In addition, the crown prince initiated an anti-corruption sting to silence his critics, leading to the arrests of more than a dozen royal family members and a billionaire businessman.
Despite his deeds, MBS maintains a working relationship with world leaders. For example, before President Joe Biden’s July visit to Saudi Arabia, MBS completed a Middle East tour through Israel, Jordan and Egypt.
Biden is downplaying any planned meeting with the crown prince during his trip.
“I’m not going to meet with MBS,” President Biden said. “I’m going to an international meeting.”
Meanwhile, administration officials said the United States needs to build a better relationship with Saudi Arabia, the second-largest oil producer worldwide, to offset rising energy costs.
According to the State Department, Saudi Arabia provides the U.S. with about half a million barrels of oil daily. The Biden administration aims to get the Saudis to increase their exports.
AP contributed to this report.
