Saudi Arabia's ambitious crown prince is the clear leader in TIME Magazine's readers' choice poll for Person of the Year.
Prince Mohammed bin Salman has 13 percent in the online poll at the time of writing, more than twice that of the nearest competitor.
Other international leaders such as Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel, Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump trail far behind the Saudi prince, each with just 3 or 4 percent.
Who should be TIME's Person of the Year for 2017? https://t.co/wOPTxdirlB
— TIME (@TIME) November 27, 2017
While the prestigious award is not officially decided by the poll, the results are revealed alongside the selection made by the magazine's editorial team. The people's choice can be seen as reflective of the public mood, indicating who the magazine's readers believe had the biggest impact on the world in the past year.
Although the title is Person of the Year, the criteria is actually quite broad. A person, a group, an idea or even an object can be selected as the winner by TIME's editors.
Trailing the closest behind Prince Mohammed in the poll is #MeToo (a viral hashtag used by individuals to share their experiences with sexual harassment) with 6 percent, American football player Colin Kaepernick (who has become iconic for his stand agains racism in the U.S.) with 5 percent, and The Dreamers (a term used for immigrants in the U.S. who came to the country illegally as children) with 5 percent.
Voting in the poll ends on Dec. 3 and the results will be revealed on Dec. 6.
I think Mohammed bin Salman will (and should) be @TIME person of the year, he's amassed a great deal of power this year. A millennial successor to the throne.
— H (@HishamRiaz) November 27, 2017
Some are explaining why the crown prince should win the award
All the world should vote for Prince Mohammed bin Salman to be the @TIME person of the year because of his visionary, he is leading revolutions to change Saudi Arabia, he is fighting corruption and extremism, will bring moderate islam, let women drive
— سامي العتيق (@SamiAtig) November 25, 2017
👇https://t.co/fSkFWaRRi1…
"He is leading revolutions to change Saudi Arabia"
I won't be surprised if Time's Person of the Year is Mohammed Bin Salman.
— Ayesha Ijaz Khan (@ayeshaijazkhan) November 26, 2017
If he wins, a lot of people wouldn't be surprised
Because many are confident he deserves the recognition
Who should be TIME's Person of the Year for 2017? https://t.co/Gn0OVY1mDa
— TIME (@TIME) November 25, 2017
King Salman of Saudi Arabia appointed his son – Prince Mohammed – the former deputy crown prince, as the successor to the throne, removing former crown prince Mohammed bin Nayef from the line of succession in June.
Many had expected that Mohammed bin Salman would eventually be named crown prince, although he was little known outside the kingdom prior to his father's ascension to the throne in Jan. 2015.
Since then, Prince Mohammed has risen to prominence, taking on an increasingly powerful role in the kingdom and building relationships with international leaders. He has also led the charge in reforming Saudi Arabia's economic and social policies, creating an ambitious Vision 2030 plan for the kingdom.
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