Middle East

Diverging ruling philosophies drive the Gulf’s most assertive monarchies


Issue 1195 - 17 Jan 2025 | 7 minute read

The Gulf’s younger rulers have become more experienced in managing their polities and more pragmatic in delivering big ambitions, as they balance domestic and international relationships and interests. To better understand their actions in 2025 and beyond, GSN takes a deeper dive into the ruling philosophies of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

Profile: Mohammed Bin Salman Bin Abdelaziz (MBS)

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Role: Crown prince, prime minister, chairman of the Council of Economic and Development Affairs and the Council of Political and Security Affairs

In the early 2010s, GSN began to note the rise of the young and ambitious Prince Mohammed Bin Salman (MBS), marked out even then for his boldness and aggressiveness, as well as his physical resemblance to the founder of the kingdom, King Abdelaziz (Ibn Saud). Read more

Profile: King Salman Bin Abdelaziz Al-Saud

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Role: Head of State and Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques

Born to Hessa Bint Ahmed Al Sudairi, the best-known wife of the kingdom’s founder King Abdelaziz (Ibn Saud), Salman is one of the last (and oldest) surviving ‘Sudairi Seven’ brothers. Read more

Profile: Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani

Official Tamim Qatar Emir

Role: Emir

Sheikh Tamim came to power in June 2013 and since then has deepened Qatar’s position as a global-scale exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG), overseen the hosting of football’s Fifa World Cup in 2022 (underlining his personal interest in the sport), navigated the country through the 2017-21 boycott by Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the UAE and the Covid-19 pandemic, and developed the emirate’s position as an intermediary on the international stage. Read more

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