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Meet the 31-year-old Saudi prince who rose to power nearly overnight

On Wednesday, the king of Saudi Arabia unexpectedly named one of his sons the country's new crown prince.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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After finishing a law degree at King Saud University, Salman worked as an adviser to his father and took on several official roles.

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Before being named crown prince, he worked as the country's defense minister and oversaw the country's economic reform.

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In the past five years, Salman became known for trying to steer Saudi Arabia from relying on oil as its primary source of wealth.

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He also led Saudi Arabia's intervention in the Yemeni uprising, which has resulted in considerable civilian deaths and exacerbated poverty and hunger in the country.

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Salman has close ties to US President Donald Trump, who also takes a strong stance against Iran.

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Salman has accused Iran of spreading Shia ideology and trying "to control the Islamic world."

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"The rise of Mohammed bin Salman will likely mean even more hawkish foreign policy moves from Saudi Arabia and more intensified efforts to confront Iran," said Helima Croft, the global head of commodity strategy at RBC Capital Markets.

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Domestically, Salman frequently talks about improving Saudi Arabia's health, education, and housing system and has, before his ascent, replaced older officials with younger, Western-educated ones.

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Despite his position in Saudi Arabia's government, Salman is popular at home as a younger and, because of his frequent media appearances, more down-to-earth prince.

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In Saudi Arabia, one of the world's last true monarchies, Salman will have almost limitless power, which means only he can decide whether his rule will provide progress for the kingdom.

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