Muhammad bin Nayef

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Muhammad bin Nayef
First Deputy Prime Minister
Tenure29 April 2015 – 21 June 2017
King and Prime Minister
PredecessorMuqrin bin Abdulaziz
SuccessorMohammed bin Salman
  • Deputy Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia
  • Second Deputy Prime Minister
Tenure23 January 2015 – 29 April 2015
King and Prime Minister
Salman
PredecessorMuqrin bin Abdulaziz
SuccessorMohammed bin Salman
Chairman of the Council of Political and Security Affairs
Tenure29 April 2015 – 21 June 2017
King and Prime Minister
Salman
SuccessorMohammed bin Salman
Minister of Interior
Tenure5 November 2012 – 21 June 2017
Prime Minister
King Salman
Predecessor
Nayef bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
MotherAl Jawhara bint Abdulaziz Al Jiluwi

Muhammad bin Nayef Al Saud

Arabic: محمد بن نايف آل سعود, romanizedMuḥammad bin Nāyif Āl Su‘ūd; born 30 August 1959), colloquially known by his initials MBN or MbN,[1] is a former Saudi Arabian politician and businessman who served as the crown prince and first deputy prime minister of Saudi Arabia from 2015 to 2017[2] and as the minister of interior from 2012 to 2017.[3]

Prince Muhammad is a grandson of the founding monarch,

King Abdulaziz, and son of the former crown prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz. Muhammad and Nayef were the first father-son duo in Saudi history to serve as crown prince.[4][5] Muhammad's uncle King Salman named him as crown prince on 29 April 2015. On 21 June 2017 the king appointed his own son, Mohammed bin Salman, as crown prince and relieved Muhammad bin Nayef of all positions. He has been in detention since 6 March 2020 along with his uncle Ahmed and his half-brother Nawwaf
.

Early life and education

Muhammad bin Nayef was born in Jeddah on 30 August 1959.

Nawwaf bin Nayef and Fahd bin Nayef.[10] His mother, Al Jawhara bint Abdulaziz bin Musaed,[8] was a member of the Al Jiluwi branch of the House of Saud.[11] She died in July 2019.[12]

Muhammad bin Nayef studied in the United States.

FBI's security courses from 1985 to 1988, and trained with Scotland Yard's anti-terrorism units from 1992 to 1994.[7]

Career

Muhammad bin Nayef with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, 16 January 2013

Early career

Muhammad bin Nayef was appointed assistant interior minister for security affairs in 1999. He had been a businessman before this appointment.

counter-terrorism program,[17][18] and was regarded as the architect of the government's counter-insurgency program.[19] He also served as the director of civil defense during his term as assistant minister.[20] He was considered to be an effective assistant interior minister.[21]

In 2004, Muhammad bin Nayef was appointed to the rank of minister, becoming number two at the Ministry of Interior.

U.S. Deputy National Security Adviser of an al-Qaeda plot to bomb transatlantic cargo aircraft.[22][23] After the appointment of Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz Al Saud as interior minister upon Prince Nayef's death in July 2012, Prince Muhammad became deputy interior minister.[4][24]

In November 2009, King Abdullah appointed Muhammad as a member of the influential Supreme Economic Council of Saudi Arabia.[25] This move was regarded as approval of the increase in then-Crown Prince Nayef's power by King Abdullah.[26] On the other hand, this appointment enabled Prince Muhammad to extend his influence over the government's economy policy.[27]

On 5 November 2012, King Abdullah issued a royal decree and dismissed Prince Ahmed as minister of interior and appointed Prince Muhammad to the post.[4] He became the tenth interior minister of Saudi Arabia.[28] Prince Muhammad took the oath of office in front of King Abdullah on 6 November 2012.[29] His appointment was criticized by human rights activists due to Prince Muhammad's professional experience as a tough enforcer who imprisoned thousands of suspected troublemakers in Saudi Arabia.[30] However, he was regarded as less corrupt and less likely to abuse his power in comparison to other senior princes of his generation.[30]

In January 2013, Prince Muhammad met with

Saudi women would be allowed to work at the Saudi intelligence agency.[33]

In February 2014, Prince Muhammad replaced

Until his ouster in June 2017, Muhammad bin Nayef had spent 15 years as Saudi Arabia's most influential security official; he maintained close connections with American and British intelligence communities.

Charge d'affaires to the Kingdom, Christopher Hensel. Prince Muhammed and Pompeo discussed security with Turkish officials, and said Saudi Arabia's relationship with the U.S. is "historic and strategic". He added that the move shows Washington's recognition of what he called Riyadh's anti-terrorism efforts.[38]

Views

In the mid-2000s, Muhammad bin Nayef, unlike most of the royal family, talked to the media.[39] Like his father, Prince Nayef, he took a hard line against terrorism in Saudi Arabia.[27] He, and other decision-making elites, asserted that terrorism must be treated as a form of crime and fought with ruthless policing methods.[40] Walid Jumblatt described Muhammad bin Nayef as the Saudi equivalent of General Ashraf Rifi, former director-general of Lebanon's Internal Security Forces.[41]

Muhammad bin Nayef was commended by Western intelligence agencies for Saudi Arabia's counterterrorism programs.[39] After his appointment as interior minister, U.S. diplomats viewed him as "the most pro-American minister" within the Saudi Arabian cabinet.[42]

Influence

In 2011 The Economist described Prince Muhammad as energetic and low-key, and stated that he was one of the candidates for the throne when the line of succession passes to the grandsons of King Abdulaziz.[43] He was also considered to be one of the possible contenders after his father's death in June 2012.[44] In 2011, Michael Hayden reported that Prince Muhammad was the world's fifth most powerful defender.[45] In April 2016, Prince Muhammad was named by Time as one of the 100 Most Influential People.[46]

Assassination attempts

Muhammad bin Nayef has escaped four assassination attempts. He was injured in the third attempt, and unhurt in the others.[47]

The third attempt was on 27 August 2009.

hidden inside al-Asiri's rectum[51] and anal canal, which security experts described as a novel technique.[52][53] Muhammad bin Nayef appeared on state television with a bandage around two of his fingers on his left hand. He stated, "I did not want him to be searched, but he surprised me by blowing himself up."[54]

According to Bruce Riedel, a former CIA officer and director of the Intelligence Project at the Brookings Institution, "the weight of the evidence I have seen is that [bin Nayef] was more injured in the assassination attempt than was admitted." To treat his injuries the prince "got onto a pain killer routine that was very addictive. I think that problem got progressively worse."[55] According to The New York Times, citing "an associate of the royal family", the prince's alleged addiction was cited to "strengthen support for the sudden change in the line of succession" that removed bin Nayef from office.[55]

This was the first assassination attempt against a royal family member since 2003, when Saudi Arabia faced a sharp uptick in Al Qaeda-linked attacks.[56][57] The last assassination attempt against Prince Muhammad was in August 2010.[47]

Deputy Crown Prince

On 23 January 2015 it was announced that King Salman had appointed Muhammad bin Nayef as deputy crown prince.[58][59] The announcement reportedly helped calm fears of dynastic instability over the line of succession.[60] Thus, Prince Muhammad became the first of his generation to be officially in line for the throne. In addition to his other posts Prince Muhammad was named the chair of the Council for Political and Security Affairs which was established on 29 January 2015.[59]

Crown Prince

Crown Prince Muhammad with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, 6 May 2015

On 29 April 2015, Muhammad bin Nayef was named crown prince, replacing Muqrin bin Abdulaziz in the post.[61] MBN's younger cousin, Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), was named deputy crown prince at age 29.[62] The two princes frequently clashed, and MBS, known for his ambition, quickly consolidated influence within the royal court.[62] MBS, as defense minister, launched and led the largely unsuccessful Saudi military campaign in Yemen in March 2015, while MBN's support for the war was muted.[62]

By 2016, MBS's rise within the Saudi royal family raised speculation that he would displace MBN as

Saad Aljabri, fled to Turkey with his family.[63]

Ouster as crown prince in 2017

Muhammad bin Nayef was deposed by royal decree on 21 June 2017, amid a

Federal Intelligence Service,[67][68] for which it was subsequently rebuked by the German government.[69]

During his ouster in late June 2017, Muhammad bin Nayef was reportedly detained and threatened for hours, and pressured to resign as crown prince and pledge fealty to Mohammed bin Salman, to whom other members of the

duress, declined to do so.[63] Similar requests to transfer MBN's Europe-based assets were reportedly made in early 2021.[63]

Arrest and detention in 2020

Following his removal, Muhammad bin Nayef's wife and daughters were forbidden from leaving Saudi Arabia.

Nawwaf bin Nayef, and his uncle Ahmed bin Abdulaziz were all charged with treason, accused of conspiring against MBS.[72][73]

Nayef was reportedly held in solitary confinement for at least six months and was tortured, resulting in lasting physical injury.[63] In August 2020, MBN's legal representatives raised concerns over his well-being, alleging that Saudi authorities had refused to allow his doctor or his family members to visit him since his arrest five months earlier.[74] At some point in late 2020, Nayef was moved to the Al Yamamah Palace complex in Riyadh, where he remained as of late 2022.[63] According to a source cited by Guardian, "He is not allowed outside his small unit and he is filmed and recorded at all times.... He is not allowed visitors, except certain family members on rare occasions, nor can he see his personal doctor or legal representatives. He has been made to sign documents without reading them."[63] In private discussions with Saudi authorities, the U.S., under both the Trump and Biden administrations, has urged the release of MBN, without success.[63]

Personal life

Muhammad bin Nayef is a son-in-law of

Sultan bin Abdulaziz.[75][76] His wife is Princess Reema bint Sultan Al Saud,[76] and they have two daughters, Princess Sarah and Princess Lulua.[77][78]

MBN has diabetes.[55][62] Before his ouster from power in 2017, he frequently took long hunting and falconry vacations in Algeria, where he maintained a desert villa.[62][63]

According to the Panama Papers, MBN purchased Panamanian companies from Mossack Fonseca.[79]

Awards

In 2015 Muhammad bin Nayef was awarded the George Tenet medal by the CIA.[80]

On 4 March 2016 when he was crown prince he was awarded

French president François Hollande citing his efforts in combating terrorism in the region.[81][82]

Ancestry

Notes

Footnotes
  1. ^ His name is also spelled Mohammed, and his father's name is also spelled Naif.
References
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External links

Saudi Arabian royalty
Preceded by Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia
28 April 2015 – 21 June 2017
Succeeded by
Mohammed bin Salman
Political offices
Preceded by Minister of the Interior
5 November 2012 – 21 June 2017
Succeeded by
Abdulaziz bin Saud
Preceded by
Muqrin bin Abdulaziz
Second Deputy Prime Minister
23 January 2015 – 28 April 2015
Succeeded by
Mohammed bin Salman
First Deputy Prime Minister
28 April 2015 – 21 June 2017