Meet the 31-year-old Saudi Arabian prince who rose to power nearly overnight

On June 21, the king of Saudi Arabia unexpectedly named one of his younger sons the country's new crown prince.

The sudden move sent ripple waves of surprise throughout the Middle East and Saudi Arabia, which has been ruled by autocratic, older men for decades.

During his time as the country's defense minister, Mohammed bin Salman, 31, became known for both shaking up some of the country's officials and picking up his father's conservative, aggressive stances for countries such as Iran, Qatar, and Yemen.

Here's what we know about the life of the Saudi royal who rose to one of the most powerful posts in Saudi Arabia overnight.