On Wednesday, the king of Saudi Arabia unexpectedly named one of his younger sons the country's new crown prince.
The sudden move sent waves of surprise throughout the Middle East and Saudi Arabia, which has been ruled by autocratic, older men for decades.
During his time as the country's defense minister, Mohammed bin Salman, 31, became known for both shaking up some of the country's officials and picking up his father's conservative, aggressive stances for countries such as Iran, Qatar, and Yemen.
Here's what we know about the life of the Saudi royal who rose to one of the most powerful posts in Saudi Arabia overnight.
SEE ALSO: The Saudi king has named his 31-year-old son his successor — that's bad news for Iran and Qatar
On Wednesday, Saudi Arabia's King Salman appointed his 31-year-old son as the kingdom's new crown prince. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will replace a cousin who is 26 years older.
Source: Business Insider
Salman is the first child of the Saudi king's third marriage. Salman is one of 13 children, and he grew up without drawing much attention to himself.
Source: The New York Times
After finishing a law degree at King Saud University, Salman worked as an adviser to his father and took on several official roles.
Source: The New York Times
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