Behind the Bastards

Part One: Prince Mohammed Bin Salman: The Tyrant of Saudi Arabia

January 20, 2026

Key Takeaways Copied to clipboard!

  • The episode introduces Prince Mohammed Bin Salman (MBS) as the current effective ruler of Saudi Arabia and a dangerous, yet competent, world leader known for mixing reforms with authoritarian crackdowns, including the murder of Jamal Khashoggi. 
  • The foundation of the Saudi state is rooted in an 18th-century political alliance between the ambitious Muhammad ibn Saud and the militant religious leader Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab, establishing a dynasty backed by strict Islamic ideology. 
  • The history of the House of Saud is characterized by repeated cycles of state-building, internal infighting among numerous royal descendants, and reliance on religious hardliners for political support, traits that persist to the modern era. 
  • The immediate consequence following the 1979 incident at the holiest mosque was a severe crackdown on religious freedom, leading to stricter enforcement of fundamentalist Islam and the inability for foreign women to go uncovered by the early 1980s. 
  • The period following King Faisal saw a succession of weak and incompetent Saudi kings (Khalid and Fahd) who were more interested in personal leisure than governance, creating a vacuum filled by corruption and radical religious influence. 
  • Muhammad bin Salman, the subject of the series in *Behind the Bastards*' episode *Part One: Prince Mohammed Bin Salman: The Tyrant of Saudi Arabia*, was born in 1985 into a Saudi Arabia already burdened by ineffective leadership, financial corruption, and increasingly restrictive religious laws. 

Segments

Introduction to MBS and Guest
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(00:00:05)
  • Key Takeaway: David Bell, a leading expert on Saudi Arabia who lived there for 47 years, joins the podcast to discuss Prince Mohammed Bin Salman.
  • Summary: The episode of Behind the Bastards begins its multi-part series on Prince Mohammed Bin Salman (MBS), the Crown Prince and effective ruler of Saudi Arabia. The host introduces guest David Bell, noting his extensive expertise on the region. Bell clarifies that MBS is the Crown Prince, effectively ruling while his father is King.
Guest Credentials and X-Files Tangent
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(00:00:38)
  • Key Takeaway: David Bell is a writer/script finisher for Some More News and co-runs the Gamefully Unemployed podcast network.
  • Summary: The host details David Bell’s professional background, including his work at Cracked magazine and current roles at Some More News and the Gamefully Unemployed network. A lengthy, unrelated tangent follows concerning the TV show The X-Files and the character Fox Mulder’s questionable investigative tactics, such as tasting blood at a crime scene.
MBS Profile and House of Saud Origins
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(00:06:38)
  • Key Takeaway: MBS is identified as the dangerous, competent effective ruler responsible for the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
  • Summary: The conversation pivots back to MBS, highlighting his role as the effective ruler and his connection to the murder of Jamal Khashoggi. The discussion then shifts to the origins of the House of Saud in the 18th century in Diriya, founded through an alliance between Muhammad ibn Saud and the religious reformer Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab.
Wahhabism and Early State Formation
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(00:09:11)
  • Key Takeaway: Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab preached a return to a pure form of Islam, opposing Ottoman decadence like mixed-gender socialization and art depicting the human form.
  • Summary: Wahhab’s strict interpretations of Islam led him to condemn practices like women working and depictions of human forms, prompting him to flee persecution. Muhammad ibn Saud allied with Wahhab, merging religious fervor with nascent Arab nationalism to build a political base for the House of Saud.
First Saudi State Collapse
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(00:17:01)
  • Key Takeaway: The first Saudi state, established in 1745, was destroyed by the Ottoman Empire in 1819 after the Wahhabists overreached by attacking Mecca and Medina.
  • Summary: The first Saudi state lasted about 50 years until the Wahhabists’ militant actions, including attempts to sack Mecca and Medina, provoked a massive Ottoman military response. The capital Dariya was destroyed, and the ruling Saud was executed in Constantinople.
Second State and Family Infighting
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(00:21:18)
  • Key Takeaway: The House of Saud proved highly resilient, with Turkey bin Abdullah establishing the second state in 1824, though internal conflict remained a primary threat to their rule.
  • Summary: Despite the first state’s collapse, the family survived, with Turkey bin Abdullah establishing the second Saudi state in 1824, moving the capital to Riyadh. This period was marked by constant internal conflict, as the large family structure led to frequent assassination attempts and power struggles among cousins.
Founding of Modern Saudi Arabia
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(00:29:06)
  • Key Takeaway: Abdul Aziz Al Saud, grandfather of MBS, founded the modern Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1932 by retaking Riyadh and uniting warring tribes using religious conviction.
  • Summary: After the second state fell in 1891, Abdul Aziz Al Saud went into exile before returning in 1902 to re-establish the Saudi state, culminating in the creation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1932. He used religion to convince Bedouins to settle and prioritize the Islamic community (Ummah) over tribal bonds.
Oil Discovery and US Alliance
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(00:32:19)
  • Key Takeaway: King Abdul Aziz sold an oil drilling concession to Standard Oil of California in 1938 out of desperation, leading to a foundational US-Saudi agreement in 1945 for oil access in exchange for protection.
  • Summary: Initially poor, Saudi Arabia’s finances were saved by the discovery of oil in 1938, prompting Abdul Aziz to sell a concession for a small sum. This led to a crucial 1945 meeting between FDR and the King, establishing the long-term US commitment to protect Saudi oil interests.
Oil Money Effects and Royal Stipends
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(00:35:31)
  • Key Takeaway: Oil wealth funded vast royal stipends, creating a massive, largely non-working royal class subsidized by the state, while 90% of the private sector labor force became foreign-born.
  • Summary: Oil money allowed the royal family to accumulate fortunes, funding lavish lifestyles and stipends that cost the state over $2 billion annually by 1996, ensuring loyalty among extended family members. This system resulted in widespread corruption and a situation where 90% of the private sector workforce consisted of foreign laborers.
King Salman’s Early Life and Work Ethic
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(00:41:46)
  • Key Takeaway: Salman bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud (MBS’s father) distinguished himself by being a hard worker who avoided corruption, raising his sons to be capable professionals rather than relying solely on oil wealth.
  • Summary: Salman, born before the oil boom, developed a reputation for seriousness and relative lack of corruption, contrasting with his siblings who focused on accumulating wealth. His sons, including the first Muslim Saudi astronaut, were raised to be competent workers with Western education and skills.
Grand Mosque Seizure and Reaction
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(00:51:37)
  • Key Takeaway: The 1979 Grand Mosque seizure by Islamist militants, who believed their leader was the Mahdi, forced the Saudi government to respond brutally, leading to a conservative backlash against modernization.
  • Summary: In 1979, militants led by Johaiman al-Oitabi seized the Grand Mosque, accusing the royal family of betraying Islam by allying with infidels. The Saudi government, aided by French commandos who faked conversion to Islam, retook the mosque through indiscriminate violence, killing many hostages. The resulting political pressure forced the monarchy to reverse secularizing trends, banning movies, alcohol, and gender mixing.
Beliefs vs. National Prosperity
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(00:58:28)
  • Key Takeaway: Imposing rigid personal belief systems onto a nation inevitably clashes with the populace’s desire for stability, neighborly relations, and wealth accumulation.
  • Summary: The tension exists between maintaining a strict set of personal beliefs and the practical needs of a country seeking prosperity and good international relations. When these ideological rules are enforced nationally, the system becomes messy and unsustainable. The sheer amount of money backing the ruling power, however, can prolong the viability of such a system beyond its logical lifespan.
Consequences of 1979 Event
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(00:59:31)
  • Key Takeaway: The severe consequence for the 1979 attack on the Grand Mosque—French commandos faking Islam and dropping grenades—was the rollback of women’s rights, specifically banning them from television.
  • Summary: Following the 1979 incident, fundamentalist Islam became increasingly entrenched in Saudi Arabia over the next two decades. The religious police gained significant power to punish minor rule violations against both men and women. Before 1979, foreign women could move without covering their heads, but this freedom became impossible by the start of the 1980s due to the clerical crackdown.
Weak Kings and MBS’s Birth
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(01:00:09)
  • Key Takeaway: Muhammad bin Salman was born in 1985 into a Saudi Arabia weakened by a series of incompetent kings and rife with financial corruption.
  • Summary: The House of Saud experienced a period of weak kings after King Faisal, including King Khalid who immediately deferred power to his son, Crown Prince Fahd. King Fahd governed ineffectively, prioritizing leisure on his yacht until suffering a stroke in 1995. It was into this environment of weak governance, corruption, and radical religious laws that Muhammad bin Salman was born.
Host Age Comparison Banter
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(01:00:57)
  • Key Takeaway: The hosts noted the significant age difference between themselves and MBS, highlighting his youth relative to his current power.
  • Summary: One host realized he was older than MBS, leading to a brief discussion about the implications of the Crown Prince’s age and power. The hosts joked about MBS having the means (planes and authority) to cause harm, contrasting with their own lack of such resources. This segment concluded with a humorous comparison to actor Finn Wolfhard being born after 9/11.
Guest Promotion and Sign-off
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(01:02:06)
  • Key Takeaway: Guest David Bell hosts the movie podcast ‘GameFully Unemployed’ and serves as the head writer for ‘Some More News,’ covering low-stakes movie critiques and political doom content.
  • Summary: David Bell directs listeners to find his movie podcast, ‘GameFully Unemployed,’ which focuses on low-stakes movie discussions, often supported by a Patreon with extensive bonus content. He also works as the head writer for ‘Some More News,’ offering content focused on politics and Marvel movie complaints. The hosts then signed off, reminding listeners about the Behind the Bastards production company, CoolZone Media, and its availability on YouTube.