Back in 2015, when King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia died. At that time his half-brother Salman was about to become king. Salman’s son, Mohammed Bin Salman was 29 years old at that time and ready to take charge. Mohammed Bin Salman has a great mind that contains big ideas. But he worried that people in the royal family might try to prevent him from implementing these ideas.
One night, he called Saad al-Jabri, a senior security official, to the palace. They left their phones behind and cut off the landline to avoid being watched. During their conversation, Mohammed Bin Salman shared his thoughts related to transforming Saudi Arabia. He wanted to make the kingdom more prominent on the world stage. He planned to sell part of Aramco, a huge oil company, and invest in tech startups like Uber. Mohammed Bin Salman also wanted to create more job opportunities, about 6 million, especially for women. When asked about his goals, he compared himself to Alexander the Great.
For the past year, the documentary team has been investigating the facts that explore how Mohammed Bin Salman gained power. They talk with people who support him. They also interviewed his critics and important Western spies and diplomats. The Saudi government chose to remain silent and not to comment on documentaries or articles. Saad al-Jabri, a former top Saudi official who had close ties with CIA and MI6 leaders, has greatly opposed Mohammed Bin Salman. However, the Saudi government tried its best to discredit Jabri. His detailed account clearly explains Mohammed Bin Salman’s leadership style.
As with the passage of time, Mohammed Bin Salman grows older and becomes weaker. He is 38 years old now and holds the real powers in Saudi Arabia.
This country is not only the birthplace of Islam but also the largest oil exporter globally. While Mohammed Bin Salman has made progress with his ambitious plans, he faces serious accusations of human rights abuses. These include suppressing free speech, using the death penalty extensively, and jailing women’s rights activists.
Mohammed Bin Salman was not expected to become a powerful leader in the future. During the presidency of his father, Salman, many people did not even know about him. But with the passage of time, he quickly showed that he is ambitious and tough. He even got the nickname “Father of the Bullet” after allegedly sending a bullet to a judge who ruled against him in a property dispute when he was young.
In 2015, as Saudi Arabia’s Defence Minister, Mohammed Bin Salman led a military campaign in Yemen against the Houthi rebels. This move created a major humanitarian crisis with millions of people facing severe hunger. His decision to act in Yemen, despite American advice not to, made him known for taking bold and unpredictable steps.
Mohammed Bin Salman received mixed reviews. He gets applause from many people for preventing Saudi support for extremist groups abroad, which is good for global security. At the same time, his doubtful actions, like buying a $450 million painting and trying to make Saudi Arabia a bigger player internationally, show he’s determined to be a powerful leader, regardless of Western opinions.
The powerful time of Mohammed Bin Salman has been controversial. When he held the power, Saad al-Jabri was forced to leave Saudi Arabia. This is because his life was in danger.
Mohammed Bin Salman reportedly tried to convince Jabri to return by offering him his old job back, but Jabri didn’t trust him and stayed away. Jabri’s children were later arrested and jailed on charges they deny.
The murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018 at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul was a huge scandal. And people firmly believe that Mohammed Bin Salman was involved in this murder. However, he denied this claim. The United States intelligence report suggested in 2021, explored that he played a part in this crime.
As Mohammed Bin Salman looks to rule Saudi Arabia for potentially 50 more years, he aims to modernize the country. However, his harsh methods make people worry he might make more mistakes, and few people around him are willing to challenge him.