Unknown Facts about the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Prince Mohammed Bin Salman

Updated on September 02, 2022 19:22 PM by Sally Harbor

Mohammed bin Salman whose full name goes as Muḥammad ibn Salmān ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz Āl Saʿūd,or widely also known as MBS was born on August 31,1985, is the member of the royal family of Saudi Arabia and is the crown prince of the country. He is the son of the Saudi king Salman bin Abdulaziz and his third wife Fahdah bint Falāḥ ibn Sulṭān.

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Mohammed Bin Salman attended the King Saud University in Riyadh,Saudi Arabia, from where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in law in 2007. He afterward founded a number of firms and an NGO through which he promoted entrepreneurship in the kingdom. In 2009 he became a formal adviser to his father, who was then governor of Riyadh. As Salman rose in rank and influence, eventually becoming crown prince in 2012, his trusted son Mohammed rose with him.

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In January 2015 Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah died and Salman became king. He immediately appointed Mohammed as his defense minister. And in a matter of few months Mohammed turned the tables and changed the entire defence system of the country. But there are some facts about the king which are still unknown to many. So let’s have a look at them.

1. The prince has detained three royal family members for some unknown reasons

Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Al Saud, the future king of Saudi Arabia, has detained three members of the Saudi royal family for "unexplained reasons”.

The crown prince, also known as MBS, has got Prince Ahmed Bin Abdulaziz arrested along with former crown prince Mohammed Bin Nayef, and his younger brother, Prince Nawaf Bin Nayef.

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He still has not ascended the throne but will do so after the death of his father, 84-year-old King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. The crown prince has become a controversial global political figure, particularly so in the fall of 2018, when he faced global outcry over the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who the CIA later concluded was assassinated on the prince's orders. In January, he was accused of hacking the personal cell phone of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, an allegation the Saudi embassy denied.

2.The crown prince lives his life to the fullest and that too lavishly

Prince Mohammed is known for his lavish spending. He has bought a $500 million yacht, a $300 million French Chateau, and a $450 million Leonardo DaVinci painting which definitely shows how interested he is in living a larger than life life. According to an estimate, the Saudi royal family which has about 15,000 members is worth up to $1.4 trillion.

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The royal family's empire includes Saudi Aramco, which is the massive state-owned oil company that became the most valuable company in the world when it went public in December 2019.

3. He runs the country Saudi Arabia despite of not being on the throne

Yes, you heard it right. Prince Mohammed runs the country of Saudi Arabia, for his father Salman Bin Abdulaziz even though he still is not the official holder of the throne as his father is still alive. But the prince is known to be a workaholic who spends 18 hours of the day in his office, according to some reports.

And to be king reportedly does not take criticism well.

"People who tried to say no even gently and diplomatically faced consequences," one source said.

4.He is the owner of Saudi Aramco

Yes he is the owner of the highest rated company in the world at present, Saudi Aramco which is a state owned oil giant that reached a record-high valuation of $2 trillion after going public in December 2019.

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Since he belongs to the royal family, he will become the owner of the company once his father passes away. The trillions of value that the company has makes it the most valuable company in the world, outstripping the market capitalizations of the biggest US giants, including Microsoft, Apple, and the company of Google, Alphabet.

The company is worth more than Berkshire Hathaway, Facebook, and Amazon combined which obviously increases the net worth of the crown prince as well.

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Saudi officials had been seeking a valuation of $2 trillion for the company, and most banks had pegged their initial estimates to be correct.

Aramco announced revenue of $68 billion in the first nine months of 2019, making it the most profitable company in the world.

5. Hidden outlet of the crown prince

Prince Mohammed and his father, King Salman, are often found in "a network of marble-columned palaces and countryside retreats" in Riyadh. Foreign dignitaries and politicians are often hosted at the Al Yamamah Palace.

During a visit with President Obama to the opulent Erga Palace, reporters spotted gold-plated Kleenex dispensers and gold chairs,according to a source.

The royal family is rumored to own several other lavish residences around the world, including in Switzerland, London, France, and Morocco.

6.Various scandals that brought him to light

Saudi Arabia has faced criticism for human rights abuses and repressive laws, such as the one that says all Saudi women must have a male guardian.

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In February 2019, a source had published an investigation on how a Saudi app called Absher had allowed men in Saudi Arabia to track and control where their women travel. The reporting prompted Apple CEO Tim Cook to launch an investigation into the app, which is sold on the App Store.

In the fall of 2017, the crown prince was reported to be behind a corruption case that saw more than 200 people arrested and some detained for weeks in a Ritz-Carlton hotel. Saudi Arabia reportedly use coercion and physical abuse during the interrogations.

And according to another source, the number of executions in Saudi Arabia has been on the rise: 133 people were executed in the first eight months after MBS became crown prince.