Mohammed bin Salman pushes his loyalists to critical positions in government
The Intelligence Online website highlighted the plan of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to push his loyalists to the most critical positions in government in Saudi Arabia to hold more grabs of power.
The French website reported that bin Salman worked gradually to empower the people loyal to him from the most important strongholds of power in the kingdom, especially sensitive security positions.
The website quoted intelligence sources as saying that the head of the Saudi General Intelligence Service, Khaled bin Ali Al-Humaidan, is still an exception to Mohammed bin Salman’s plan to make extensive changes to sensitive positions.
Al-Humaidan remained at the helm of the apparatus, despite being from the adult generation.
The sources pointed out that enabling Mohammed bin Salman’s staff from their new positions came before the announcement of the appointment of the Crown Prince as prime Minister on September 27, in another step that brought him closer to the title of king.
The site added that the promotions of the Bin Salman team included his younger brother, Prince Khaled bin Salman, who moved from Deputy Minister of Defense to Minister.
The council includes Abdullah bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz, Minister of the National Guard since December 2018, and bin Salman’s advisor for security strategy abroad, one of the four pillars of bin Salman’s young crew, according to the sources.
Prince Turki bin Mohammed bin Fahd Al Saud is among the team’s most influential members after he was appointed Minister of State without a portfolio in 2019. Instead, he assumed responsibility for diplomatic reconciliation with Qatar in 2021.
Prince Turki prepared the Saudi Crown Prince’s visit to Doha after the reconciliation, after several meetings with Prince Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Qatari ministers.
Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Nayef Al Saud, appointed Minister of the Interior in 2017, is a young bin Salman team member. The Crown Prince entrusted him with the internal security file, an essential pillar of his regime’s authority as the kingdom’s de facto ruler.
Prince Abdulaziz became accredited to bin Salman for the first time when he worked as an advisor to King Salman bin Abdulaziz and later worked as an advisor to the Crown Prince in the Ministry of Defense.
The fourth pillar in the Bin Salman team is Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal Al Saud, the former motor racing pioneer who became Minister of Sports in 2020. He succeeded in forming a supportive lobby to host Kingdom 2029 Asian Winter Games and the 2034 Asian Games.
The site concluded by noting that Bin Salman’s lawyers considered his appointment as Prime Minister makes him immune from lawsuits before American courts, including Jamal Khashoggi’s case in 2018.
