Prince Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit date to the United Kingdom is confirmed. Saudi Arabia’s new crown prince will arrive in London on 7 March, the royal three-day-visit included the meeting Prime Minister Theresa May.
The British government officials and Saudi Arabia’s royal family confirmed that Prince Mohammed bin Salman will visit London. According to Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, an upcoming visit is going to “turn a new page” in the relations between the countries. The figure od Crown Prince is controversial, his foreign policy has been widely criticised. The humanitarian crisis in Yemen – where eight million people are on the brink of famine – is an ongoing international concern. The situation is now so dire it is being referred to as “Saudi’s Vietnam”.
Since last autumn, Mohammed bin Salman is bringing sorely needed social and economic reforms to Saudi Arabia, which look very unusual for the patriarchal Arabian kingdom. The 32-year-old Crown Prince is also the locomotion behind Saudi Arabia’s ‘Vision 2030’, a hugely ambitious and wide-ranging blueprint to wean the country off dependence on oil following a global slump in prices.
The rise of Mohammed bin Salman
Crown Prince’s rise has followed that of his father: King Salman ascended to the throne in January 2015 after the death of his half-brother Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz. Crown prince, previously in charge of his father’s royal court, has been rapidly promoted since then to various cabinet posts at the expense of those older or more experienced.
The appointment of such a young heir (he is 32) to the throne effectively sets the tone of Saudi policy for decades. He is by far the second most powerful person in the country – and some would argue more important than his ailing 81-year-old father. On March 7, the Arabian royal will arrive in London where he will be welcomed by Theresa May.
