Analysts and experts have described the selection of Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman, deputy premier and minister of defense, among the world's 10 most powerful personalities in Forbes 2018 list as a recognition of his influential international stature and the Kingdom's effective role at the global level.

It is not the first time that the world's media outlets have chosen the Crown Prince as the world's most influential figure, they said.

Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman came at number 8 on the prestigious Forbes’ Most Powerful People List, ranking ahead of French President Emmanuel Macron and India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The 32-year-old Crown Prince is also this year’s youngest figure to make the Top 10 list.

According to the Forbes website, there “are nearly 7.5 billion humans on planet Earth, but these 75 men and women make the world turn. Forbes' annual ranking of The World's Most Powerful People identifies one person out of every 100 million whose actions mean the most.”

Four factors were taken into account to select each of the World’s Most Powerful People: how many people over whom they have power; the financial resources they control; if they have influence in more than one sphere; and how actively they wield their power to change the world.

Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman secured his high ranking on the list after initiating a wave of key reforms that have improved the rights and mobility of Saudi women, created more job opportunities for the country’s youth, and kickstarted a nation-wide transition into a more tech-centric way of life.

His leadership also led to an anti-corruption campaign and, following the crackdown, the Crown Prince began working on diversifying the Kingdom’s oil-dependent economy, meeting with world leaders and overseeing the signing of billions of dollars of deals during a successful international tour with stops in the United Kingdom, the United States, France, and Spain.

 /  Source: saudigazette