Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia

The prime minister of Saudi Arabia is the chairman of the Council of Ministers and the head of government of the Kingdom. The office is traditionally held by either the king or the crown prince. Since 27 September 2022, the position has been held by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

History The office of prime minister was established on 9 October 1953, by decree of King Saud. Internal royal family dissatisfaction with Saud's rule led to the appointment of his half-brother, Crown Prince Faisal, as prime minister. A power struggle between the two led to Faisal's resignation in 1960, allowing Saud to regain control. Continued instability, however, resulted in Faisal's reappointment in 1962.

After Saud was deposed in 1964, Faisal succeeded him as King while remaining Prime Minister. Following Faisal’s death, his successors maintained the merger of the two offices until 2022. Since the reign of King Khalid, administrative duties were often delegated, and during the kingdom's gerontocracy in the 1990s and 2000s, royal favorites occasionally carried out the duties of the prime minister in practice.

The merger of the offices ended on 27 September 2022, when King Salman issued a royal decree appointing his son and top aide, Mohammed bin Salman, as Prime Minister. At 37 years old, Mohammed bin Salman became the youngest person to hold the office and the first prime minister from the generation of the grandsons of King Abdulaziz. Under this arrangement, Mohammed bin Salman became the head of government, while King Salman remains the head of state.

List of prime ministers No. Portrait Name (Birth–Death) Took office Left office Time in office Monarch 1 Saud bin Abdulaziz (1902–1969) 9 October 1953 16 August 1954 Himself 2 Faisal bin Abdulaziz (1906–1975) 16 August 1954 21 December 1960 Saud 3 Saud bin Abdulaziz (1902–1969) 21 December 1960 31 October 1962 Himself 4 Faisal bin Abdulaziz (1906–1975) 31 October 1962 25 March 1975 Saud (1962–64) Himself (1964–75) 5 Khalid bin Abdulaziz (1913–1982) 25 March 1975 13 June 1982 Himself 6 Fahd bin Abdulaziz (1921–2005) 13 June 1982 1 August 2005 Himself 7 Abdullah bin Abdulaziz (1924–2015) 1 August 2005 23 January 2015 Himself 8 Salman bin Abdulaziz (born 1935) 23 January 2015 27 September 2022 Himself 9 Mohammed bin Salman (born 1985) 27 September 2022 Incumbent Salman

List of first and second deputy prime ministers

First Deputy Prime Minister No. Portrait Name (Birth–Death) Time in office Took office Left office Time in office 1 Faisal bin Abdulaziz (1906–1975) 9 October 1953 16 August 1954 2 21 December 1960 31 October 1962 3 Khalid bin Abdulaziz (1913–1982) 31 October 1962 25 March 1975 4 Fahd bin Abdulaziz (1921–2005) 25 March 1975 13 June 1982 5 Abdullah bin Abdulaziz (1924–2015) 13 June 1982 1 August 2005 6 Sultan bin Abdulaziz (1928–2011) 1 August 2005 22 October 2011 7 Nayef bin Abdulaziz (1934–2012) 28 October 2011 16 June 2012 8 Salman bin Abdulaziz (born 1935) 18 June 2012 23 January 2015 9 Muqrin bin Abdulaziz (born 1945) 23 January 2015 29 April 2015 10 Muhammad bin Nayef (born 1959) 29 April 2015 21 June 2017 11 Mohammed bin Salman (born 1985) 21 June 2017 27 September 2022 – – Vacant 27 September 2022 Incumbent

Second Deputy Prime Minister No. Portrait Name (Birth–Death) Took office Left office Time in office 1 Fahd bin Abdulaziz (1921–2005) 1967 25 March 1975 2 Abdullah bin Abdulaziz (1924–2015) 25 March 1975 13 June 1982 3 Sultan bin Abdulaziz (1928–2011) 13 June 1982 1 August 2005 4 Nayef bin Abdulaziz (1934–2012) 27 March 2009 28 October 2011 5 Muqrin bin Abdulaziz (born 1945) 1 February 2013 23 January 2015 6 Muhammad bin Nayef (born 1959) 23 January 2015 29 April 2015 7 Mohammed bin Salman (born 1985) 29 April 2015 21 June 2017 – – Vacant 21 June 2017 Incumbent

Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia

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