Trump’s Riyadh Visit Cements MbS’s Path to the Throne
US President Donald Trump’s warm embrace of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during his May 2025 visit to Saudi Arabia has left little doubt about who’s in charge in Riyadh—and who’s next in line. At the glitzy Saudi-US Investment Forum, Trump praised MbS as “an incredible man” and “my friend,” while unveiling a staggering $600 billion Saudi investment in US industries. For anyone still questioning MbS’s grip on power, the message from Washington was loud and clear: the American president stands firmly in his corner.
As reporter Ali Hussain explains, this moment didn’t happen overnight. MbS’s rise has been anything but conventional. He was a long shot a decade ago—outshined by older, more seasoned princes. But his appointment as crown prince in 2017, after King Salman pushed aside his own nephew, Mohammed bin Nayef, marked a turning point. Since then, rivals have been dismissed, detained, or simply disappeared from public life. The royal court belongs to MbS now.
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Critics warn of increasing repression and uneasy regional rivalries, particularly with the UAE and Qatar. But with Trump’s high-profile visit and public show of support, MbS seems to have neutralized those external threats, at least for now. Supporters like journalist Munther al-Askari insist the kingdom is stable and that this transfer of power is in line with tradition.
For the full story of how one crown prince became the undisputed powerbroker in the kingdom—and why the US is standing beside him—read Ali Hussain’s full report.
