Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia
The prime minister of Saudi Arabia is the chairman of the Council of Ministers and the head of government of the Kingdom. The office is traditionally held by either the king of Saudi Arabia or the crown prince. Since 27 September 2022, the position has been held by Mohammed bin Salman.
History
The office of prime minister was established on 9 October 1953, by decree of King Saud. Internal royal family dissatisfaction with Saud's rule led to the appointment of his half-brother, Crown Prince Faisal, as prime minister. A power struggle between the two led to Faisal's resignation in 1960, allowing Saud to regain control. Continued instability, however, resulted in Faisal's reappointment in 1962.After Saud was deposed in 1964, Faisal succeeded him as King while remaining Prime Minister. Following Faisal’s death, his successors maintained the merger of the two offices until 2022. Since the reign of King Khalid, administrative duties were often delegated, and during the kingdom's gerontocracy in the 1990s and 2000s, royal favorites occasionally carried out the duties of the prime minister in practice.
The merger of the offices ended on 27 September 2022, when King Salman issued a royal decree appointing his son and top aide, Mohammed bin Salman, as Prime Minister. At 37 years old, Mohammed bin Salman became the youngest person to hold the office and the first prime minister from the generation of the grandsons of King Abdulaziz. Under this arrangement, Mohammed bin Salman became the head of government, while King Salman remains the head of state.