Meet Mohammed Bin Salman: The Super Powerful Heir To The Saudi Throne

Expensive designer dresses worn behind traditional abayas, vacations on the French Riviera, frolicking on private jets personalised to the tee, parties on luxury yachts worth millions, Saudi Arabia's royal families live a life of opulence sustained by the riches of their oil industry. They are worth billions of dollars and even in the time of austerity, buying a French chateau is considered absolutely normal. A life worth living, some would say. Purging The Old Guard © Reuters The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is currently ruled by King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, the 25th son of the founder of modern Saudi Arabia, King Abdulaziz Ibn Saud. Ever since King Salman came into power two-years ago, he's systematically dealt with transgressions and established his own son Mohammed Bin Salman as the new crown king, making him first in line to the throne instead of his nephew, Mohammed bin Nayef. This single act by King Salman broke away from established norms of the Saudi royal family and made news all over the world. But since then, Mohammed Bin Salman like his father has proved that he's here to upend traditions without much regard for the senior guard and members of the Saudi Royal family. He is fiery and believes in wresting total control of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Recently, Mohammed bin Salman made news when he jailed many members of the royal family in an apparent bid to quash any resistance to his vision for the country. Opulence In The Time Of Austerity © Reuters But it's not just Mohammed Bin Salman's abrasive style that's made news; he's also brash when it comes to living a life that suits his taste. While stories of his copious lifestyle are protected and seldom released by the Saudi government, his love for yachts has been extensively covered. One of the stories that brought quite some media spotlight on the new crown prince went something like this: On a vacation in south of France, Prince Mohammed bin Salman couldn't help but notice a 440-foot yacht floating off the coast. He was so impressed by its size and beauty that he immediately sent his aides to procure the yacht for himself. The ship turned out to be 'The Serene', a Russian vodka tycoon Yuri Shefler's personal prized possession. The aide, not willing to disappoint the prince, quickly made an offer that the Russian couldn't refuse. The deal was done within hours as the prince shelled out approximately 500 million euros for the yacht. That evening, Prince Salman had dinner on the same yacht he spotted earlier in the day as the Russian owner moved out. This is the kind of lifestyle choices that Salman is known for. While it is incredibly impressive for someone worth billions of dollars, his impulsive decision making some critics believe has put the kingdom on the path of instability. One of the prime examples of his inexperience reflects in how he proceeded to hurriedly form a counterterrorism military alliance for a Saudi-led war in Yemen. That war, since he took over as the minister of defence, has cost the Kingdom billions of dollars and left thousands of women and children homeless in Yemen. Growth, Independent Of Oil © Reuters No matter then the inexperience he showed in handling the Yemen situation, Prince bin Salman is still being applauded for his vision for a new Saudi Arabia, one that is not dependent on it's Oil reserves. Recently, he presented a development plan titled Saudi Vision 2030. As discussion around his vision began (after he made a very impressive presentation), one of the commentators actually articulated what many in the room were actually thinking: “I have no doubt, your highness, that the project you have put forward is a dream that looks, at the same time, realistic and achievable. However, we will be facing a huge dilemma: You are still an energetic and active young prince who has a clear vision, and your explanation was detailed and convincing. But, on the other hand, I can portray the situation as if you are driving an old car with worn out tires and an old engine. Honestly, with such a car, I tell you that you cannot reach your destination on time. This is a worn-out administrative government that is more than 50 years old.” To this, bin Salman replied: “This car has to move, and if it doesn't, I will have to replace it with another one.” The commentator was Abdulrahman Al-Rashed from arabnews.com and the crowd present was actually impressed by his uncluttered vision and incredibly far-fetched but honest ambitions. Of all the vices Mohammed bin Salman is criticised for, aspiring for a modern kingdom independent of riches from oil reserves isn't one of them. Control On The Brink Of Dictatorship © Twitter Saudi Arabia for long has been ruled by corrupt officials and businessmen leading to sluggish economic growth but at the same time enhancing the incredibly opulent lifestyle of the royal families that are highly dependent on their oil reserves. This is why when Prince bin Salman jailed almost 200 senior officials, princes and officials almost 95% of them agreed to reach some settlement for their release. One Saudi Prince Miteb bin Abdullah, once considered a strong contender to the throne, recently paid USD 1 billion for his release from the Ritz-Carlton luxury prison. Mohammed Bin Salman's recent actions against Saudi elite show that he's here to break the status-quo and he won't shy away from taking bold decisions without letting go of his own wealth and consolidating power into a much more centralized government machinery. Even as the Saudi Kingdom, now invariably led by a new heir Mohammed bin Salman moves towards an oil-independent economy, the internal power struggle encompassing the battle between tradition and modernity might prove to be a little too much for the splurging royal heads.