In the early hours of 29 April, when viewers tuned in to watch a television address from Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, few would have expected that his words would reverberate across the world.

Within a few short minutes, King Salman had told his subjects that Crown Prince Muqrin bin Abdulaziz, who was also first deputy prime minister, had requested to be relieved of his duties and had been replaced by Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef.

In the same address, King Salman appointed his favoured son, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, as deputy crown prince, adding to the portfolios of defence minister and head of the Royal Diwan.

The new appointments mean the monarch will be bringing the curtains down on the country being ruled by King Abdulaziz al-Saud’s (Ibn Saud’s) sons – 62 years so far – and handing over to the next generation. The move is also a sure sign King Salman is building the foundations for long-term rule by one of his younger, most ambitious sons.

New blood

There is a definite sense in Riyadh that Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is empire-building, and he has now established a power base equalled by few of his prospective rivals looking to eventually ascend to the throne.

The young prince was born in 1980 and educated at Riyadh’s King Saud University, where he studied law. For the past decade he has sought to position himself as an expert on the affairs of young Saudis, a canny strategy in a country where almost 70 per cent of the population is under 30.  

When his father ascended to the throne, Prince Mohammed was appointed defence minister, becoming the youngest in the world, and has been a mainstay on Saudi television since. His profile has been heightened considerably since a Saudi-led coalition force began air strikes against the Iran-backed Shia Houthi rebels in Yemen, becoming the poster boy for his father’s campaign.

Prince Mohammed bin Salman has also spearheaded the recent structural changes within the Oil Ministry, especially the move to separate state oil major Saudi Aramco, reinforcing the clout his chairmanship of the Council for Economic and Development Affairs brings.

Meanwhile, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef’s expertise in fighting terrorism and his excellent reputation overseas means he remains secure as crown prince. The 55-year-old is firmly established as interior minister and his new role as deputy prime minister is an indication that he wields considerable influence across the kingdom.

Prince Mohammed bin Nayef is considered the scourge of terrorists and King Salman will not want to risk losing one of his most experienced operators to familial power struggles. However, questions remain over how the crown prince will be able to reconcile social change with the young Saudi population while also placating more senior and conservative members of society.

Closely guarded

The rules regarding succession state that all the changes have to be endorsed by the Allegiance Council, the committee of Ibn Saud’s sons and grandsons that are required to ratify any decisions. The secrecy surrounding the inner machinations of the Al-Sauds, including the Allegiance Council, makes it difficult to fathom how influential this process is.

What is clear is that the next generation of rulers is now established and it is going to prove extraordinarily difficult to dislodge them.