Mohammed bin Salman and the Personalization of Power:  Deviating from Political Norms and Its Regional Implications for Iran (2017–2022)

Ganjian Moghadam, Alireza; Rafie, Hossein

Volume 16, Issue 2 (Political researches of the Islamic world, summer 2026) پژوهش‌هاي سياسي جهان اسلام 2026, 16(2): 101-0 | Back to browse issues page

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Ganjian Moghadam A, Rafie H. Mohammed bin Salman and the Personalization of Power: Deviating from Political Norms and Its Regional Implications for Iran (2017–2022). پژوهش‌هاي سياسي جهان اسلام 2026; 16 (2) :101
URL: http://priw.ir/article-1-1993-en.html

Mohammed bin Salman and the Personalization of Power: Deviating from Political Norms and Its Regional Implications for Iran (2017–2022)

Alireza Ganjian Moghadam¹

, Hossein Rafie ^*²

1- University of Mazandaran
2- University of Mazandaran , h.rafie@umz.ac.ir

Abstract: (16 Views)

The rise of Mohammed bin Salman and the concentration of power at the apex of Saudi Arabia’s political system represent a process that deviates from the country’s traditional norms of consensus-building, familial consultation, and long-standing monarchical customs. This transition has produced a neo-patrimonial structure in which manifestations of modernity, civil liberties, and development appear artificially, while in practice, power is increasingly centralized in the hands of the Crown Prince. Concurrently, this individualized concentration of authority has coincided with the emergence of a clientelist pattern in foreign policy, portraying Saudi Arabia as a subordinate actor aligned with major powers, particularly the United States and Israel. This pattern not only reshapes internal power dynamics but also reinforces a dependency-oriented approach in regional policy. This study, employing an analytical approach through library and online research, examines this unconventional transformation in Saudi power structures and its regional repercussions, especially in interactions with the Islamic Republic of Iran. The central research question addresses how the personalization of power, contrary to traditional norms and combined with the growth of clientelist relations, has intensified competition and exacerbated regional conflicts and challenges for Iran, such as the Abraham Accords, the Arab NATO initiative, recognition of Israel, and incremental activism in regional affairs. Findings indicate that this new structural combination positions Saudi Arabia to pursue interventionist and aggressive policies in the region by leveraging support from major powers, thereby altering geopolitical equations to Iran’s disadvantage.

Keywords: Power transition disruption, Neo-patrimonialism, Strategic dependency, Departure from monarchical tradition, Iran’s regional challenges.