Mohammad bin Salman — world’s youngest defence minister

LAHORE: At the age of 30, the visiting Saudi Arabian deputy Crown Prince, Mohammad bin Salman Al Saud, happens to be the youngest defence minister in the world.

This is what an esteemed British newspaper "The Independent" had recently stated about Mohammad in its latest January 9, 2016 edition: "When Mohammed bin Salman was just 12 he began sitting in on meetings led by his father Salman, the then governor of Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Province. Some 17 years later, at 29 and already the world’s youngest defence minister."

Also holding the office of his country's second deputy Prime Minister, he was born out of King Salman's wedlock with Fahda bint Falah bin Sultan, the monarch's third spouse.

Mohammad bin Salman Al Saud's younger full brother Turki bin Salman Al Saud is Chairman of the Riyadh-based Tharawat Holding Company, which is a principal Saudi Arabian firm specialising in diverse investments in business, technology, food, sports development and real estate sectors.

The 28-year old Prince Turki is also the Chairman of the Saudi Research and Marketing Group. According to British newspaper "Daily Mail",  "King Salman has 13 children from his three wives. With his first wife Sultana bint Turki Al Sudairi - who passed away at the age of 71 in July 2011 - he fathered Prince Fahd, Prince Ahmed, Prince Sultan, Prince Abdulaziz, Prince Faisal and Princess Hussa. Sultana was the daughter of Salman's maternal uncle, a former governor of Asir Province.

His second wife, Sarah bint Faisal Al Subai'ai gave birth to Prince Saud. And the children from his third marriage to Fahda bint Falah bin Sultan Al Hithalayn were Prince Mohammed, Prince Turki, Prince Khalid, Prince Nayif, Prince Bandar and Prince Rakan. The King's second son Prince Sultan bin Salman was the first Arab of royal blood - and the first Muslim - to fly into outer space. He flew aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery in June 1985 and has occupied the post of Deputy Minister of Oil since 1995."

As far as the Saudi Royal family's wealth is concerned, a WikiLeaks cable provides an in-depth account in this context.

The cable had noted that according to a 1996 estimate of US embassy in Riyadh, the wealthiest royals were: Al-Walid bin Tatat bin Abd Al-Aziz ($13 billion); King Fahd ($10 billion); defence minister Prince Sultan bin Abd Al-Aziz ($10 billion) and Khalid bin Sultan Abd Al-Aziz ($2 billion).

In June 2015, the Forbes magazine had listed Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal as the 34th-richest man in the world, with an estimated net worth of US$28 billion.

Earlier in March 2014, this is what the "Forbes" had stated that Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal: "His net worth of $20.4 billion at the time of publication comes from stakes in News Corp, Citigroup, Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts and other investments controlled through his Kingdom Holdings."

In 2008, Prince Waleed was listed as one of Time magazine's "Time 100," which an annual list of the hundred most influential people in the world.

Prince Waleed is a nephew of the late Saudi King Abdullah, a grandson of first Saudi King Ibn-e-Saud and a grandson of Lebanon's first Prime Minister Riad Al-Solh.