Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia: title history

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:55

The successor to the king of Saudi Arabia is called the crown prince. He is the second person in the state after the monarch in terms of powers. During the absence of the king in the country, the supreme power passes to the crown prince. The Saudi monarch bears the title of "Keeper of the Two Holy Mosques". These include mosques in Mecca and Medina - the most important places of pilgrimage for Muslims around the world. In the past, this title was worn by the rulers of the Arab Caliphate and the Ottoman Empire. When the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, in the absence of the King, acts as head of state, his usual rank of Deputy Prime Minister changes to that of Vice Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. The country has a special commission called the Allegiance Council, consisting only of members of the ruling dynasty. She participates in the decision of questions of succession and approves the successor appointed by the king.

The Origin of the Saudi Dynasty

In 1744, the religious leader Muhammad al-Wahhab made an alliance with the ruler of the city of Ad-Diriya, Muhammad ibn Saud. They created a single state on the territory of the Arabian Peninsula. After 73 years, the young power was defeated by the troopsOttoman Empire, but the Saudi dynasty continued to exist. Despite the defeat inflicted by the Turks, representatives of this family founded a new country. Its capital was located in the city of Riyadh. The state lasted 67 years and was destroyed by the Rashidi dynasty, longtime rivals of the Saudis. The beginning of the modern kingdom was laid by Abdul-Aziz. At the beginning of the 20th century, he captured Riyadh. Subsequently, through numerous wars, he managed to unite almost the entire Arabian Peninsula and become its first king.

Government

Saudi Arabia is one of the few remaining absolute monarchies in the world today. The power of the king is limited only by religious norms. He heads the government and personally appoints all ministers and judges. Before signing important decrees, the monarch consults with authoritative Islamic theologians. There is an advisory body called Majlis al-Shura, all members of which are appointed by the king. Any political parties are prohibited. In the theocratic Saudi society, the laws and judiciary are based on Sharia. The king has the right to pardon criminals and cancel sentences.

Succession

In European monarchies, the crown is traditionally passed from father to eldest son. In the Saudi dynasty, a different order is adopted: power passes from brother to brother until the last one in the generation dies. So far, sons have succeeded to the thronethe first king and founder of the present state. When none of them remains alive, the eldest of the grandchildren will receive the crown. The chosen heir to the prince of Saudi Arabia is appointed a deputy. This is the third most important position in the hierarchy of the country. As a rule, this post is occupied by the prince of Saudi Arabia, who should, by seniority, become the next candidate for the throne.

The first king Abdulaziz had 45 sons. The total number of princes is in the hundreds. The reason for this lies in the practice of polygamy. The generation of grandchildren is especially numerous. Most of them even theoretically have no chance to take the throne. The title of prince of Saudi Arabia does not mean power, but only the presence of a family connection with the dynasty.

The current king

Since 2015, Saudi Arabia has been ruled by the 25th son of the founder of the country, Salman. He came to the throne after the death of his predecessor, King Abdullah. Saudi Arabia's Prince Salman was elected heir apparent in 2012. Soon after coming to power, he, in full accordance with tradition, appointed his brother Muqrin, the youngest son of the first king, as successor.

Crown Prince

However, further events took an unexpected turn. Three months later, the order of succession to the throne was changed by decree of King Salman. He replaced Muqrin with his nephew, Prince Mohammed bin Nayef of Saudi Arabia. This reform hastened the moment of transferring power to the third generation of the dynasty. Many analysts assumed that the end goal of the newmonarch was to make his own son first in line for the throne. This is exactly what happened two years later: Muhammad ibn Naif was not only deprived of the title of heir, but also removed from all government posts. His place was taken by the king's son, Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman. This appointment was made bypassing many applicants and destroyed the long-standing principle of seniority.

Split within the ruling elite

The Saudi dynasty is divided into family clans, each of which pursues its own interests. The current monarch belongs to the most influential of them - Sudeiri. The previous king Abdullah was a representative of another clan - Sunayan, which grew stronger during his reign. There is nothing surprising in the fact that Salman seeks to concentrate power in the hands of his family. Signs of the existence of such plans have been observed for a long time. Being not yet the heir, but only the prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed ibn Salman began to actually govern the country, simultaneously holding the positions of minister of defense and head of the council for economic affairs. According to experts, his candidacy received support from the United States. A photo of the Prince of Saudi Arabia next to President Donald Trump at an official meeting in Riyadh attracted the attention of journalists and political scientists.

The specifics of the palace struggle for power

The founder of the state, Abdel-Aziz, strengthened the solidity of the country by marrying women from influential clans. The system of passing the crown by seniority from brother to brother, bequeathed by the first king, worked successfully as long as his sons remained alive. But with the transfer of power to a new generation, a problem arises: this order of succession to the throne can continue if only one line becomes the successor and pushes aside others. Logic dictates that King Salman will seek to help his clan to take this position.