Line of succession to Saudi Arabia’s throne

Saudi Arabia’s King Salman named his 31-year-old son Mohammed bin Salman as crown prince on June 21, removing his nephew, Mohammed bin Nayef, as heir.

A royal decree stated that “a majority” of senior royal family members – 31 out of 34 – from the Allegiance Council had supported the recasting of the line of succession. The council comprises senior princes who gather in secret and vote to pick the king and crown prince from among themselves.

Mohammed bin Salman, also referred to as MBS, is now poised to become the first Saudi monarch from a generation of royals who represent the grandsons of the country’s founder, King Abdulaziz Al-Saud.

For decades, the throne has passed from elderly brother to elderly brother – all sons of the late founder.