How a Saudi Prince unseated his cousin to become the kingdom’s heir apparent
An inside look at how the royal-court drama unfolded shows the extent to which the kingdom’s recent leadership change was a power grab by a self-declared reformer
Riyadh — After a wakeful night confined to a Mecca palace lounge, Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef emerged into a marble-walled room the morning of June 21. The 57-year-old prince found a waiting crowd, cameras, a security guard with his hand on a gun — and his cousin Mohammed bin Salman, 31, the favored son of King Salman, newly installed as his successor as heir apparent and crown prince. An inside look at how the drama unfolded — pieced together from interviews with people familiar with the royal court, including people aligned with each prince, and from videos of events — shows the extent to which the Saudi shuffle was a power grab by a self-declared reformer. That June 21 morning, the older prince muttered a greeting to the younger, who approached in an ankle-length robe and red-and-white checked headdress, a video of the encounter shows. Mohammed bin Salman, known to many as "MBS," knelt and kissed his older cousin’s hand. At that point it would have been clear to...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.