9. Mohammed bin Salman
Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, often known as MBS, is a Saudi Arabian politician who serves as the country’s crown prince and deputy prime minister. He is the ruler of an authoritarian system in Saudi Arabia, but he is a powerful man.
MBS is frequently referred to as the “power behind” his father, King Salman‘s throne. MBS was appointed in his place by King Salman in 2017 after his nephew Muhammad bin Nayef was removed from the position of the crown prince. MBS was successful in implementing a number of major internal reforms, including rules limiting religious police powers, lifting the prohibition on female drivers, and weakening the male-guardianship system.
Bin Salman heads an authoritarian regime in Saudi Arabia, and his tenure has been marked by numerous controversies, including an uptick in alleged cases of torture of human rights activists, his relationship with Donald Trump, the escalation of the Qatar diplomatic crisis, the phone hacking of Jeff Bezos, and the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who was a vocal critic of the regime.
