Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is taking over the reigns from his aging father and becoming Saudi Arabia’s uncrowned monarch, from meeting foreign leaders to leading regional summits.
With growing concerns about the health of King Salman, who is approaching 86 years old, Prince Mohammed, 36, is in charge of presidential meetings and dignitary receptions, with the king making few public appearances.
While Prince Mohammed has been seen as the de facto ruler since his inauguration as heir to the throne in June 2017, his rise to prominence was highlighted when he visited with French President Emmanuel Macron in early December and headed the Gulf Cooperation Council summit on Tuesday.
After cordial greetings and friendly handshakes, King Salman, who usually leads the yearly summit, was absent.
“The idea that a crown prince is the de facto ruler of the country, interacting with foreign presidents and presiding over summits, has only happened before when Saudi kings were in poor health,” said Yasmine Farouk of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
“What’s different is that even when King Salman fulfills all of his responsibilities, the crown prince now has a parallel, even more important function to play.”
King Salman has been staying at Neom, a futuristic metropolis on the Red Sea, since the outbreak of Covid-19.
His last meeting with a foreign official in Riyadh was with then-UK foreign minister Dominic Raab in March 2020, while his last journey abroad was to Oman to express condolences over Sultan Qaboos’ death in January 2020.
