Saudi Arabia's new Crown Prince Muqrin represents the biggest break from the kingdom's tradition of any of his predecessors in the role — both because of his lowly maternal birth and his foreign education.
Seen as a relative progressive in the ruling family, with a grasp on the need for long-term reform, Crown Prince Muqrin has also voiced traditional hawkish views on Iran, but it is far from clear how much influence he will have during Salman's reign.
The affable former fighter pilot, long a member of the ruling family's top circle of strategic decision makers and intelligence chief from 2005-12, appears on paper to have the stolid qualifications required by his family to rule.