House of Saud unites behind king’s son – for now | Reuters

House of Saud unites behind king's son – for now | Reuters Reuters By Stephen Kalin and William Maclean | DUBAI DUBAI The elevation of Mohammed bin Salman as Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia has ended two years of speculation about a behind-the-scenes rivalry near the pinnacle of royal power, but he still has to win over powerful relatives, clerics and tribesmen.The 31-year-old favoured son of King Salman was already in effect the day-to-day ruler, with sweeping powers over defence, energy and the economy, even though his cousin Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, 57, occupied the more senior job as crown prince.For two years the meteoric rise of Mohammed bin Salman stirred talk of strains and competition between the two princes, both known by their initials as MbS and MbN.That all ended on Wednesday when the Al Saud family publicly closed ranks around MbS following his sudden elevation by royal decree. MbN, stripped both of his rank as heir and his position as the veteran head of Saudi Arabia's internal security forces, was among the first to pledge allegiance to his newly elevated younger cousin.And yet questions remain over how the youthful MbS will consolidate his own network of power and patronage.Any jostling for power among the hereditary lines of state founder King Abdulaziz al-Saud is carefully hidden behind the ornate doors of royal palaces. The post House of Saud unites behind king's son – for now | Reuters appeared first on Firstpost. 1