Saudi Arabia has a new crown prince, here's what you should know

King Salman of Saudi Arabia has appointed his son, the former deputy crown prince, as the successor to the throne, removing former crown prince Mohammed bin Nayef from the line of succession.

Many had expected that Mohammed bin Salman would eventually be named crown prince, although he was little known outside the kingdom prior to his father's ascension to the throne in Jan. 2015. 

Since then, Prince Mohammed has risen to prominence, taking on an increasingly powerful role in the kingdom and building relationships with international leaders.

Here's a closer look at the new crown prince and what he's already accomplished.

The appointment of the new crown prince can be seen as a major shift to the younger Saudi generation. At just 31 years old, Prince Mohammed is seen as a peer by Saudi youth, who make up the majority of the country's population.

As the second most powerful man in the kingdom, the new crown prince brings what many see as a more progressive perspective.

Prince Mohammed has also now been made the deputy prime minister of the kingdom. This is in addition to his role as defense minister and his role as chairman of the Council for Economic and Development Affairs.

But most importantly, Prince Mohammed is considered to be King Salman's closest adviser. Even prior to the official appointment, many saw Prince Mohammed as highly influential of his father's decisions behind the scenes.

The prince rose rapidly through the royal court. When his father became king in Jan. 2015, Prince Mohammed was appointed as minister of defense and as secretary general of the royal court. He also retained his post as minister of state.

Under Prince Mohammed's leadership, the kingdom put forward an ambitious national transformation plan called Vision 2030.

The plan, which was introduced in April of 2016, >introduces sweeping changes to economic governance. Saudi Arabia's cabinet approved Vision 2030 several months later, aiming to triple non-oil revenues by 2020, diversify the economy and cut state subsidies. 

In addition to economic reforms, the plan aims to address social issues as well as provide more cultural and entertainment opportunities. These changes have already manifested themselves with the >first public concerts to be held in many years, events like >Comic-Con happening for the first time ever and plans to> build a Six Flags theme park in the kingdom.

Meeting with Western business leaders like the CEOs of Facebook and Microsoft to expand cooperation with the kingdom and create opportunities for Saudi youth are only some of Prince Mohammed's recent efforts. 

Last month, Mohammed bin Salman also >announced plans to create 40,000 new jobs in the kingdom with a new defense company. Additionally, the prince announced plans last year to build a new institution of higher education in the kingdom,> focused primarily on entrepreneurship.

With Vision 2030's efforts to increase entertainment and cultural opportunities and address social issues in the kingdom, the crown prince has been seen as a modernizer by many.

"For the first time, we have this leader [Mohammed bin Salman] who is 30 years old who speaks my tone and my language and we are very optimistic about it and we want to be part of the change," Mahmoud Sabbagh, a popular Saudi film director >told StepFeed in an interview last year.

Since King Salman and Prince Mohammed bin Salman have taken the reins in the kingdom, the power of the religious police has been curbed and women have seen increased emphasis on expanding their legal rights. 

Under their leadership, the kingdom has shown it is serious about modernizing. As the crown prince takes on his new role, many assume this trend will continue.