Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia

Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
رئيس وزراء المملكة العربية السعودية
Royal Standard of the Crown Prince
Flag of Saudi Arabia
Incumbent Mohammed bin Salman since 27 September 2022
Council of Ministers of Saudi Arabia
Style	His Royal Highness
Type	Head of government
Abbreviation	PM
Member of	Council of Ministers Riyadh City Royal Commission Mecca City and Holy Sites Royal Commission
Reports to	King of Saudi Arabia
Residence	Al-Yamamah Palace
Seat	Riyadh
Appointer	Royal order
Term length	No fixed term
Constituting instrument	Basic Law of Saudi Arabia
Formation	October 9, 1953;72 years ago (1953-10-09)
First holder	Saud bin Abdulaziz
Deputy	Vacant
Website	www.my.gov.sa

The prime minister of Saudi Arabia ^[a] 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 of Saudi Arabia or the crown prince. Since 27 September 2022, the position has been held by Mohammed bin Salman. ^[1]

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. ^[2] 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. ^[3]

List of prime ministers of Saudi Arabia

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

List of first and second deputy prime ministers

First Deputy Prime Minister

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

Second Deputy Prime Minister

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Took office	Left office	Years in office
1		Fahd bin Abdulaziz (1921 – 2005)	1967	25 March 1975	8
2		Abdullah bin Abdulaziz (1924 – 2015)	25 March 1975	13 June 1982	7
3		Sultan bin Abdulaziz (1928 – 2011)	13 June 1982	1 August 2005	23
4		Nayef bin Abdulaziz (1934 – 2012)	27 March 2009	28 October 2011	2
5		Muqrin bin Abdulaziz (1945 – 2015)	1 February 2013	23 January 2015	2
6		Muhammad bin Nayef (born 1959)	23 January 2015	29 April 2015	<1
7		Mohammed bin Salman (born 1985)	29 April 2015	21 June 2017	2
–	–	Vacant	21 June 2017	Present	–

Notes

1. The office is called رئيس مجلس الوزراء in Arabic, romanized as raʾīs majlis al-wuzraʾ, which literally means "Chairman of the Council of Ministers."

See also

• Saudi Arabia portal

• King of Saudi Arabia
• Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia
• Council of Ministers of Saudi Arabia

References

1. "Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince to become Kingdom's Prime Minister: Royal decree". Al Arabiya English. Retrieved 2022-09-27.
2. Al Salamah, Abdullah Hamad. "Saud Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Biography". Saudipedia. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
3. Ardemagni, Eleonora (3 October 2022). "Mohammed bin Salman appointed Saudi Prime Minister". ISPI Online. Retrieved 7 January 2026.