When Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud — MbS — assumed power in Saudia Arabia, he did so without the endorsement of an election. The idea is unknown in this family-run kingdom, where power is inherited and uncontestable.

Investors stunned by Saudi Arabia’s unpredictable foreign policy under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman are unlikely to drop their guard even if the kingdom succumbs to US pressure to resolve its conflict with neighbouring Qatar and end the war in Yemen.

The Saudi king has bucked tradition by naming his successor without consulting the extended royal family. Bernard Haykel looks at the heir apparent who has a plan for when the oil runs out.