Mohammad bin Salman

Mohammad bin Salman was born on August 31, 1985, in Jeddah. His mother is Fahda bint Falah bin Sultan Al Hithleen Al Ajmi, and his father is King Salman bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia. Mohammad bin Salman is the eldest son of King Salman from his third wife.

Mohammad bin Salman began his governmental activities in local organizations in Riyadh in 2009. In 2011 and 2012, he served as an advisor for central governmental affairs and as an advisor to his father Salman bin Abdulaziz, who was then the Crown Prince. In January 2015, after his father ascended to the throne, he was appointed as the Minister of Defense; shortly afterward, he was given the position of Deputy Crown Prince and Second Deputy Prime Minister.

He has five children, two daughters and three sons, from his only wife. Contrary to many other men in the country, he has, by his own account, chosen to be monogamous. Mohammad bin Salman leads a lavish lifestyle. In one instance, he purchased an Italian-made yacht named Serene for $500 million from a Russian billionaire.

Mohammad has traveled extensively around the world and has met with politicians, business leaders, and celebrities. In June 2016, he visited Silicon Valley and met with several prominent American technology personalities, including Mark Zuckerberg.

The portrait of Jesus Christ by Leonardo da Vinci, which was sold for an unbelievable price of $450 million in New York in November 2017, was purchased by Mohammad bin Salman.

For the development of the country’s infrastructure and to diversify the economy away from oil, bin Salman formulated the Vision 2030 plan. The details were announced by the Crown Prince on April 25, 2016. The plans include 80 projects that each cost between $3.7 to $20 billion. About 76% of Saudi Arabia’s exports consist of oil and petroleum products, and approximately 15% consist of chemical and petrochemical products, which are also oil-dependent.