---

The Rise of Mohammed bin Salman: A Timeline of Power and Paradox

---

1985 – Birth of a Future King

• August 31, 1985: Mohammed bin Salman is born in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz and Fahda bint Falah Al Hithlain. He is the 8th child of his father but the first of his mother—an important distinction in tribal lineage politics.

---

2007–2013 – The Quiet Strategist

• 2007: Graduates from King Saud University with a law degree. Rather than joining the military like many royals, MBS chooses legal and administrative paths—an early sign of his technocratic leanings.
• Works closely with his father, then-Governor of Riyadh, building a network behind the scenes as a royal court advisor.

---

2013 – Minister in Waiting

• Appointed Head of the Crown Prince Court under his father, who had become Crown Prince after the death of Nayef bin Abdulaziz.
• This role gives him access to internal government machinery—a precursor to his later consolidation of power.

---

2015 – The Sudden Ascent

• January 23, 2015: King Abdullah dies. Salman becomes king. Within days, MBS is appointed:
  • Minister of Defense
  • Chairman of the Council for Economic and Development Affairs
• These roles give him sweeping influence over both war and reform—a rare combination in Saudi politics.

---

2015 – The Yemen Gamble

• March 2015: MBS launches Operation Decisive Storm in Yemen, initiating a brutal and ongoing war.
• The operation is seen as both a regional power play and a proving ground for MBS’s leadership—but draws harsh global criticism for humanitarian consequences.

---

2016 – Vision 2030 Unveiled

• April 25, 2016: Announces Vision 2030, a bold plan to diversify Saudi Arabia’s oil-dependent economy, reduce unemployment, and modernize society.
• Proposes the IPO of Saudi Aramco, the world’s most valuable oil company—an unprecedented move in the kingdom’s history.

---

2017 – The Crown and the Crackdown

• June 21, 2017: Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef is removed in a palace shake-up; MBS becomes Crown Prince.
• November 2017: Orchestrates a mass arrest of elites at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Riyadh, billed as an anti-corruption purge. Critics call it a power consolidation coup.
• Seizes billions in assets. The move terrifies the Saudi elite—and solidifies his control.

---

2018 – Reform Meets Repression

• June 2018: Women are granted the right to drive—seen globally as a hallmark of reform.
• October 2, 2018: Journalist Jamal Khashoggi is murdered in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. The CIA later concludes that MBS ordered the killing.
• This incident irreparably stains MBS’s image abroad, though domestically his grip tightens.

---

2019 – The Global Pitch

• Aramco IPO finally happens (December 2019), raising $25.6 billion—making it the largest IPO in history.
• MBS courts investors, celebrities, and global tech CEOs. Saudi Arabia hosts major sporting events and entertainment festivals.

---

2020–2022 – Pandemic and Realignment

• COVID-19 hits. Vision 2030 faces delays. Oil prices plummet but later rebound.
• MBS recalibrates foreign policy: reconciles with Qatar, reduces direct confrontations with Iran, and pursues détente via regional forums.
• Expands crackdown on dissent via surveillance and cyber tools.

---

2023 – Diplomatic Turnaround

• Restores ties with Iran through China-brokered talks—a major geopolitical pivot.
• Hosts global events like the Future Investment Initiative, rebranding as a regional powerbroker.
• Launches mega-projects like NEOM and the Line City—futuristic, controversial, and massively expensive.

---

2025 and Beyond – The Gamble Continues

• Saudi Arabia’s economy is recovering, but Vision 2030 targets are under strain.
• MBS prepares to ascend as king, with his father aging and rarely seen in public.
• The kingdom faces a paradox: unprecedented modernization alongside harsh authoritarianism.

---

A Unique Legacy in Motion

Mohammed bin Salman is a figure of contradictions: a reformer who jails reformists, a modernizer who censors dissent, and a diplomat who launched wars. His timeline is not just a sequence of dates—it’s a story of bold ambition, tactical ruthlessness, and a gamble to remake Saudi Arabia before oil runs dry.

---