BEIRUT, Lebanon — The new king of Saudi Arabia, Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud, has spent more than a half-century among the top echelons of one of the world’s most powerful families and is known to serve as mediator and peacekeeper between its often competing factions.
Best known for overseeing the development of the Saudi capital, Riyadh, during his nearly 50 years as its governor, he became the country’s defense minister in 2011 as a series of uprisings were shaking Arab leaders who had long been Saudi allies.
While Salman is popular inside the kingdom and in the ruling family, he ascended the throne after the death of his brother Abdullah on Friday amid increasing strains on the kingdom.
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“I think it scares the hell out of the Saudis,” Mr. Seznec said. “It is a dangerous place for them, and their Yemeni policy has been a huge failure.”
Salman’s sons, too, hold a number of powerful positions: Prince Abdulaziz is the deputy oil minister; Prince Faisal is the governor of Madina Province; and Prince Sultan heads the tourism authority and was also an astronaut.
A version of this article appears in print on January 23, 2015, on page A9 of the New York edition with the headline: Salman Ascends Throne to Become Saudi King. Order Reprints| Today’s Paper|Subscribe
