Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is risking political and regional instability by dismantling a decades-old system of consensus rule, analysts including ex- top US intelligence officers Since replacing his cousin Mohammed bin Nayef in June as first in line to succeed King Salman, the 32-year-old has embarked on a campaign to consolidate power, taking on rivals within the Saudi royal family and religious activists. In September, Saudi police arrested dozens of religious figures, including Islamic preachers Salman al-Awdah and Awad al-Qarni, who still remain behin in However, the heir to the throne's most ambitious move came late on Saturday when he fired senior ministers and had dozens of the country's richest men detained, ostensibly on the grounds of combatting corruption. They included his cousin and one of the world's richest men, Alwaleed bin Talal; at least 11 other princes; four ministers; and several more ex-ministers. Waleed al- Ibrahim, the chairman of the Middle East Broadcasting Center (MBC), one of the region's largest media companies, and construction magnate, Bakr Binladin of the Saudi Binladin group, were also detained. Confusion also surrounds the whereabouts of Mohammed bin Salman's predecessor as crown prince, Mohammed bin Nayef, who has not been seen publically since June and is rumoured to be under house arrest. 'One-man regime' The targeting of Saudi Arabia's long- standing elite represents a shift from family rule to a more authoritarian style of governance based around one man, according to Durham University academic Christopher Davidson. "Going after such 'big fish' is intended by MBS and his allies in Abu Dhabi as a signal of MBS' newly- established sultanistic powers," he said, using the widely-used acronym for Mohammed bin Salman and referring to his close ties to the leaders of the United Arab Emirates. "By going after the richest, whether fellow princes or media moguls and construction magnates, MBS is demonstrating that nobody is outside his control, as he is now at the top of a more authoritarian, 'one-man regime', with the old consensus-based, dynastic monarchy of the past century having effectively collapsed at some point earlier this year." Analysts said this week's purge by Mohammed bin Salman could potentially alienate members of the wider Saudi family at a time when the country struggles to balance its finances amid sustained low oil prices. Bruce Riedel, a 30-year CIA veteran and director of the Brookings Intelligence Project, shared some of Davidson's assessment, describing the mass arrests as "unprecedented". "Royal family politics are traditionally consensual with great emphasis on preserving decorum and honour, even for failed ministers," he said, predicting that the breaking of the traditional Saudi consensus-based model of rule would lead to disorder within the country. "There will be much discontent behind the scenes in the family, and the the Kingdom is headed for instability." 'Perfect storm' The breakdown of consensus rule could have wider implications both at home and abroad, particularly in terms of the Saudi relationship with its regional rival Iran, according to former US intelligence operatives. Since Mohammed bin Salman's elevation to defence minister and deputy crown prince in 2015, and later to crown prince, Riyadh has taken on a more aggressive foreign policy stance towards Tehran. In March 2015, Saudi Arabia went to war against Houthi rebels in Yemen, believed to be backed by Iran. In early 2016, it announced the severing of diplomatic ties with Iran. Amid rising regional tensions, Mohammed bin Salman on Tuesday accused Iran of what could be "considered an act of war", blaming Tehran for supplying the Houthi group with a missile that was fired towards Riyadh but was intercepted by Saudi air defence forces. Iran has rejected the Saudi accusation as "malicious, irresponsible, destructive and provocative".