Riyadh – Saudi King Salman on Sunday promoted one of his sons to thepivotal role of energy minister, strengthening his family’s grip on thelevers of power from oil to finance and defence.
The appointment of Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman as the new energy ministermirrors the ascent of his half-brother Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman,the de facto ruler.
Prince Khalid bin Salman, their younger brother, is effectively in chargeof the defence ministry.
Here are profiles of the king’s three powerful sons:
– Prince Mohammed bin Salman –
The meteoric rise of the 34-year-old, known as MBS, has seemed almostShakespearean.
In June 2017, he edged out a 58-year-old cousin, Prince Mohammed bin Nayef,to become heir to the throne.
He was previously his deputy.
If he succeeds as king, foreign diplomats predict the prince could well bein control of Saudi Arabia for at least half a century.
He has already amassed powers unseen by previous Saudi rulers.
Prince Mohammed is also the kingdom’s defence minister and chairman of thevast Public Investment Fund, which is spearheading efforts to diversify theoil-reliant economy.
He has undertaken unprecedented social reforms, such as allowing women todrive and reopening cinemas, but has also elicited widespread criticism forcracking down on dissent.
Prince Mohammed has developed close ties with the White House under USPresident Donald Trump, especially with his son-in-law and adviser JaredKushner.
– Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman –
The 59-year-old prince, the older half-brother to the crown prince, is thefirst royal family member to be named energy minister, a key post in theoil-rich kingdom.
A veteran energy official, he has decades of experience working in theministry.
After joining the ministry in the 1980s, Prince Abdulaziz served in avariety of roles, including deputy oil minister and minister of state forenergy affairs, according to Saudi media.
A graduate of the kingdom’s King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals,the prince worked closely with the three previous oil ministers.
“(He) has attended virtually every OPEC meeting since then (and) brings awealth of institutional experience,” said Ali Shihabi, founder of thenow-shuttered pro-Saudi think-tank Arabia Foundation.
The prince takes over the ministry at a time when the kingdom is reelingfrom low oil prices, which could impede ambitious plans to diversify itseconomy.
He also takes charge as the world’s top crude exporter acceleratespreparations for a much-anticipated stock listing of state-owned oil giantAramco, expected to be the world’s biggest.
– Prince Khalid bin Salman –
The 31-year-old, a younger full brother to the crown prince, was appointeddeputy defence minister in February this year.
Saudi officials say he is effectively in charge of defence affairs — at atime when the kingdom is sliding into a military quagmire in neighbouringYemen following its intervention against Iran-linked Huthi rebels in 2015.
He is also said to be overseeing a multi-billion dollar effort to boostarms imports despite misgivings by several Western nations over thekingdom’s human rights record.
A trained fighter pilot, the prince was previously the Saudi ambassador toWashington, a key ally of Riyadh.
The prince is said to be one of the most trusted members of the crownprince’s inner circle. -APP/AFP