Saudi Arabia's King Salman on Wednesday designated his son as his successor, paving the way for the young, assertive prince to assume the throne at a time when it is facing tumultuous change at home and intensifying rivalries in the Middle East.

The new crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, is the elderly monarch's 31-year old son and minister of defense. He ascended to the upper reaches of power in the kingdom when his father became king in early 2015. He then set about spearheading an ambitious economic agenda to reduce Saudi Arabia's dependence on oil and carve out a more muscular foreign policy in a volatile region.

In this episode of Jahan Nama, host Massoud Malik discuses the topic with political analyst Nusratullah Haqpal