A dangerous game: The young Saudi prince at the heart of the Middle East’s great power struggle

On Sunday, Saudi Arabia's Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was in Islamabad, meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

The recent flaring of tensions between the Saudis and their regional foe, Iran, compelled the visit to a longstanding ally. The Pakistani military reiterated its commitment to Riyadh, declaring in a statement “that any threat to Saudi Arabia's territorial integrity would evoke a strong response from Pakistan.”

But the Saudi overtures present an uncomfortable conundrum for Islamabad. Home to both some of the world’s largest Sunni and Shiite populations, and a grim recent history of sectarian violence, Pakistan can ill afford getting too deeply involved in the wider power struggles of the Middle East - that is, the rivalry between Iran, a theocratic Shiite state, and Saudi Arabia, which sees itself at the vanguard of Sunni Islam.

The awkwardness of the present isn’t being helped by the outsized role played by the young Saudi deputy crown prince, who, at just 30, has had a conspicuous ascension since the coronation of his father, King Salman, last year.

Mohammed bin Salman not only has the defence portfolio, but has also assumed responsibility as Saudi Arabia’s chief economic planner, a vital task given the perilous effect that a slide in global oil prices has had on his nation’s economy. There are rumours that the current crown prince, Mohammed bin Nayef, 56, could even eventually be moved aside for Mohammed bin Salman.

Unsurprisingly, the prince’s rise has caused ripples, and has antagonised some other members of the vast royal House of Saud who resent being shunted aside by the younger generation. Moreover, the prince and his father have presided over a pronounced - and, to some, worrying - shift in the kingdom’s role on the world stage.

Last year, Washington Post columnist David Ignatius pointed to “the aggressive policy role played by Mohammed bin Salman,” seen most keenly in the largely derided Saudi war effort in Yemen. The intervention was aimed at thwarting the country’s Houthi rebels, a faction loosely affiliated with Iran. The conflict, though, has spiraled into a protracted battle and led to a crippling humanitarian crisis.