Amid international outcry over the killing of Jamal Khashoggi, members of Saudi's royal families were allegedly distressed over the prospect of the Crown Prince becoming the next king. It was reported that dozens of princes and members of the Al Saud family were interested in seeing Prince Ahmed become the next king instead. During his London tour, Prince Ahmed criticized the Saudi leadership. He was also the only member of the ruling family to oppose MbS becoming the crown prince in 2017.