The heir to the throne of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is limited to the children of King Abdulaziz and his descendants.
The king's choice of heir to the throne was subject to the consent of Orema and the Saudi royal family.
The Crown Prince was chosen on the basis of noble qualities, the ability to arbitrate, certain achievements and strong leadership, not in order entirely by age.
If the elder is not fit or does not wish to be king, the king may appoint another suitable person as the crown prince.
Faisal chose the crown prince, overtaking the older Mohammed and choosing the younger Khalid.
The succession system of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been adjusted and changed at different times.
King Saud tried unsuccessfully to establish a direct succession system, and after Faisal succeeded to the throne, he appointed Khalid as Crown Prince Fahd as the second heir, in fact formally establishing the principle of brother-in-law succession.
The position of second deputy prime minister has become an important symbol of the qualification of the heir to the throne.
During the Fahd period, changes and additions were made to the succession system.
The Basic Law of Government, promulgated by King Fahd, regulates the system of succession to the kingdom in the form of national law.
"The rulers of the nation are the sons and descendants of the founding monarch, Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al Saud, the most upright among whom will receive allegiance in accordance with the Koran and the Sunnai of the Prophet".
'This provision states that the heir to the throne is chosen on the basis of personal competence and conduct rather than age and seniority, and recognizes the qualifications of Abdul Aziz for the membership of the king's direct descendants, including sons and grandsons.
The Basic Law of Government also stipulates that "the King shall have the power to appoint and remove the Crown Prince by decree of the Crown Prince" and that "upon the death of the King, the Crown Prince shall take over all royal powers until he gains allegiance".
This provision changed the long-standing tradition of inheritance and established a new succession procedure.
It provided a fixed legal basis for the king's prerogative to choose and remove the crown prince, and the crown prince could not automatically succeed to the throne after the king's death, but could only act as a temporary ruler until the crown prince or another person more fit to serve as king was allegiated and recognized and proclaimed king.
When the heir to the Saudi throne formally ascends the throne, a ceremony to swear allegiance to him by Olema must be held to signify the religious and political legitimacy of the ruler of the Saudi family, combining the supreme religious and secular power of the kingdom.
Fahd's decree on the succession system sets two precedents, namely the king's prerogative to choose and remove the crown prince and the recognition of at least one of Abdulaziz's grandchildren as legitimate heirs to the crown.
"The provisions of the Basic Law of Government on the succession system are milestones in the development of the succession system in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The system of non-primogeniture in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a sine qua non for the maintenance of family politics.
When the Saudi family succession system was implemented, there were many unwritten unspoken rules, which constituted a relatively complex inheritance system.
In general, heir to the throne is determined according to the seniority of the members of the Saudi family, as long as the candidate for the throne is in good health and has relevant administrative experience.
However, if the elder prince deems through discussion that the seniority rank is about to produce an inappropriate heir, the elder prince will convene a meeting to announce the change in the succession rules.
At the same time, the principle of competence in the selection criteria for heirs to the throne is not an objective factor that can be measured, which essentially leaves some space for the power competition of various groups within the royal family.
Since the power of the king and the crown prince is close, there is a certain relationship between the power of the two, and when the royal power is too strong, the choice of the crown prince may be affected.
When Faisal appointed Khalid as crown prince, Khalid was old and sick, and Khalid was not very keen on power struggles, and was very fond of camel racing and falconry, and was not familiar with the power center of the Saudi state.
This choice ensured that Faisal would not be challenged by his crown prince, and also meant that the crown prince during Faisal's reign could not enjoy the same power as Faisal when he was crown prince, which was more conducive to the concentration of state power in the hands of King Faisal.
Some sensitive special relationships may also influence the choice of heir to the throne.
After Faisal became king, Prince Mohammed was the oldest surviving son of Abdul Aziz at the time, but Mohammed's voluntary renunciation of the competition for succession may also be due to his close relationship with the Saudi king during his time as king.
