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 / Updated By Carol E. Lee and Courtney Kube 
 
 WASHINGTON — When Saudi Arabia's crown prince visits the White House next week, he's expected to be welcomed as a reformer who's expanded women's rights in one of the most restrictive countries in the world, allowing them to drive and attend sports events. 
 
 Yet there is one Saudi woman whom U.S. officials say has not benefited from the prince's rise: his own mother. Fourteen current and former senior U.S. officials told NBC News that intelligence shows Prince Mohammed bin Salman — often referred to by his initials MBS — blocked his mother from seeing his father, King Salman, more than two years ago and has kept her away from him as the young prince rapidly amassed power. 
 
 Prince Mohammed, a key ally of the Trump White House, has concocted various explanations of his mother's whereabouts over the years, such as that she's out of the country receiving medical treatment, so King Salman would not know his son has been behind her continued absence, the current and former officials said. 
 
 U.S. officials interviewed for this story believe, based on several years of intelligence, that MBS took action against his mother because he was concerned that she opposed his plans for a power grab that could divide the royal family and might use her influence with the king to prevent it. The officials said MBS placed his mother under house arrest at least for some time at a palace in Saudi Arabia, without the king's knowledge. 
 
 Last June, at just age 31, Prince Mohammed abruptly displaced his cousin to become crown prince of the oil-rich kingdom. He implemented some economic and social changes in the following months, but also made some brazen power moves at home and in the region. In November MBS oversaw the arrests of more than 200 Saudi officials and businessmen, including prominent princes and rival members of the royal family, in what the government has described as a crackdown on corruption. 
 
 President Donald Trump defended the Saudi government for "harshly treating" those who were imprisoned as part of the effort. Trump, and his son-in-law and senior White House adviser, Jared Kushner, have embraced MBS as a close partner and critical player in the administration's Middle East strategy. 
 
 The White House announced Monday that the president will meet with the crown prince on March 20, saying Trump "looks forward to discussing ways to strengthen ties between the United States and Saudi Arabia and to advance our common security and economic priorities." 
 
 But the meeting, which is part of MBS's multistate tour across the U.S., comes as some senior U.S. officials are increasingly concerned his aggressive tactics could sow more instability in the Middle East. 
 
 The U.S. intelligence assessment of Prince Mohammed's actions against his mother, which American officials said has long been concealed from both King Salman and the public, is an example of MBS's willingness to remove any perceived impediment to solidifying his position as Saudi Arabia's next king, the current and former officials said. 
 
 Officials said the assessment of the dynamic between MBS and his mother, which has not been previously reported, is based on a combination of human intelligence, intercepts and information shared with the U.S. from other countries. 
 
 The determination that the crown prince's mother, Princess Fahda bint Falah Al Hathleen, was being kept from King Salman without his knowledge was first made during the Obama administration, the officials said. That assessment has not changed since Trump took office, according to the current officials. 
 
 The Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Washington denied that the princess is under any kind of house arrest or separation from her husband. 
 
 Where is King Salman's wife? 
 
 The U.S. officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the intelligence, said the 82-year-old King Salman has at times been told his third wife is out of the country receiving medical treatment. They said the king has told people around him that he misses her and apparently does not know her true location or status. Multiple U.S. officials have told NBC News previously that their interactions with the king suggest he is not consistently lucid. 
 
 At one point during a meeting at the White House in September 2015, King Salman told then-President Barack Obama that his wife was in New York for medical treatment and that he hoped to visit her while in the U.S., officials said. The officials said Obama did not inform the king that his wife was not in New York, but the king's comment was viewed as further evidence of what U.S. officials already had gleaned from intelligence on the royal family. 
 
 In early 2016, U.S. officials picked up communications in which MBS was talking about his efforts to keep his mother from his father without the king knowing, according to current and former officials. 
 
 A spokesperson for Obama declined to comment, citing the privacy of the former president's conversations with foreign leaders. 
 
 The CIA declined comment on any intelligence on the Saudi royal family. A spokesperson for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence also declined comment for this story. 
 
 While Prince Mohammed's power base began expanding at home several years ago, his brashest moves have coincided with the strong and early support he's received from the Trump White House. 
 
 Less than two months after his inauguration, Trump hosted MBS at the White House, not the then-crown prince, Mohammed bin Nayef. MBS, who began trying to forge close ties with the Trump team immediately after the 2016 election, has spent hours with Kushner in Washington and Riyadh. 
 
 A spokesperson for Kushner, who oversees the administration's efforts to reach an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal, declined to comment for this story and referred questions to the National Security Council, which also declined comment. 
 
 'We've all pinned our hopes on him' 
 
 Trump officials view MBS as the best hope for seeing economic and social changes in the tightly controlled kingdom. 
 
 "We've all pinned our hopes on him," one senior White House official said. 
 
 It's a stark contrast to the U.S.-Saudi relationship during Obama's presidency. Then the two countries clashed over Obama's diplomatic outreach to Iran, Saudi Arabia's main regional adversary. 
 
 Now Saudi Arabia is integral to U.S. policy goals in the Middle East, particularly when it comes to blunting Iran's influence in the region and reaching an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal. 
 
 President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the State Dining Room before lunch at the White House. Nicholas Kamm / AFP - Getty Images file 
 
 In May, Trump made Saudi Arabia the first foreign country he visited as president. A month later MBS unexpectedly supplanted Prince Mohammed bin Nayef as crown prince. As part of the power shift, bin Nayef was put under house arrest, though the restriction was later lifted. 
 
 The crown prince's younger brother, Prince Khaled bin Salman, was named Saudi Arabia's new ambassador to the U.S. in July. Both have the same mother. 
 
 "The president and Jared very much see Mohammed Bin Salman as their man in the region," said Andrew Bowen, a visiting scholar at the American Enterprise Institute who focuses on Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States. 
 
 Trump backed a Saudi-led blockade of Qatar over the advice of some of his own advisers and supported the government's jailing of hundreds of wealthy Saudis accused of corruption. "I have great confidence in King Salman and the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, they know exactly what they are doing," Trump wrote on Twitter in November as the arrests came under international scrutiny. "Some of those they are harshly treating have been 'milking' their country for years!" 
 
 Many prisoners were released in recent weeks after agreeing to undisclosed financial settlements with the government. 
 
 An interview offer, with strings attached 
 
 Bowen cautioned, however, that Trump's strong support for MBS's early moves could backfire over time due to the young prince's own "insularity and his own recklessness." 
 
 One person close to the royal family said Prince Mohammed and his mother had a falling out several years ago in part because he was concerned she was trying to empower her siblings. This person said MBS wanted to avoid a dynamic that played out with a previous Saudi king in which the brothers of one of his wives became extremely powerful and wealthy. 
 
 Fatimah Baeshen, a spokesperson for Saudi Arabia's embassy in Washington, vehemently denied that the crown prince has kept his mother away from the king without the king's knowledge. 
 
 "It is absolutely not true and if you would like to ask Her Royal Highness the Princess yourself, this includes asking her in-person, we would be happy to arrange it immediately," Baeshen said in a statement. 
 
 NBC News, which first contacted Baeshen about this story on Dec. 22, 2017, did not accept the offer to speak with the princess because the Saudi government would not allow NBC to disclose that one of its reporters had met with her or use any information she provided for this story under any conditions, including if she was granted anonymity to talk about sensitive matters as others in this story were. 
 
 Another spokesman for the Saudi embassy then offered for NBC News to speak with sources close to the crown prince's mother, an offer NBC News accepted. 
 
 On Jan. 30, Kabil wrote in an email that it was the Saudi government's impression that NBC News would speak with the crown prince's mother and she "would then put you in touch with her circle of confidantes." 
 
 NBC responded by reiterating its position that a reporter would not meet with the crown prince's mother unless NBC could disclose that a meeting took place. NBC asked again for names of people close to her whom reporters could contact independently. 
 
 Kabil responded by calling NBC's position "reckless," and said it would cause the princess distress and force her into the public spotlight. 
 
 "The story is absolutely false and highly offensive," Kabil wrote. "The Princess offered to meet with you privately to personally refute the story but you declined. Instead, you have chosen to rely entirely on unnamed and anonymous sources for your reporting. Thus, your viewers cannot judge your sources' motives or credibility." 
 
 Assessing the inner workings of the Saudi royal family can be difficult, particularly when it comes to women, U.S. officials and Saudi experts said. They noted that the wife of a king under house arrest, confined to a palace or denied access to her husband could go unnoticed for quite a while. Such a dynamic could be difficult to determine because the king's wives are rarely seen in public, they said, and it is considered disrespectful to ask about a Saudi man's wife. 
 
 Brian Katulis, a senior fellow for national security at the Center for American Progress who has met with top Saudi officials, including the crown prince, said it's been particularly challenging to determine what's happening in the kingdom over the past year because of efforts by different factions to frame what's unfolding. 
 
 "In absolute monarchies controlled by a ruling family like Saudi Arabia, it's hard to tell what is actually going on inside these power shifts," Katulis said, adding that he had not heard of any issues related to the crown prince's mother and had no way to verify it. ||||| He's young, popular and promises more change than his country's ever seen. They call him MBS. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The heir to the Saudi throne and power behind it and one of the most powerful and controversial figures in the Middle East. He has promised the most ambitious reform programme in his country's history but is also the architect of a divisive foreign policy across the region. 
 
 THE future king of Saudi Arabia has warned he would quickly obtain a nuclear weapon if Iran develops its own, raising fears of a possible Middle Eastern arms race. 
 
 “Without a doubt if Iran developed a nuclear bomb, we will follow suit as soon as possible,” said Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in a rare interview that airs this Sunday on CBS 60 Minutes. 
 
 Asked by host Norah O’Donnell why he had called Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei “the new Hitler”, he replied: “Because he wants to expand. He wants to create his own project in the Middle East very much like Hitler who wanted to expand at the time. 
 
 “Many countries around the world and in Europe did not realise how dangerous Hitler was until what happened, happened. I don’t want to see the same events happening in the Middle East.” 
 
 He insisted that the two countries, which are locked in a tussle for influence, could not be compared. “Iran is not a rival to Saudi Arabia,” he said. “Its army is not among the top five armies in the Muslim world. The Saudi economy is larger than the Iranian economy. Iran is far from being equal to Saudi Arabia.” 
 
 The 32-year-old heir’s interview will air at 7pm ET on Sunday, two days before the crown prince is due to meet Donald Trump. The last time a Saudi leader gave an interview to a US TV network was in 2005. 
 
 It comes amid questions over where the crown prince is hiding his mother. Fourteen curent and former senior US officials told NBC News Prince Mohammed blocked his mother from seeing his father, King Salman, more than two years ago. 
 
 The prince has given various explanation for her absence, such as that she is out of the country seeking medical treatment, but intelligence agencies say he took action against her because he was worried she opposed his plans for a power grab. 
 
 The officials said the prince, also known as MBS, placed his mother under house arrest at a Saudi palace without the king’s knowledge in one of a string of brazen bids for influence. 
 
 SAUDI’S NUCLEAR PROGRAM RAMPING UP 
 
 The prince has been ramping up plans to develop nuclear energy capability as part of a reform plan to reduce the economy’s dependence on oil, with the United States, South Korea, Russia, France and China bidding on a multi-billion dollar tender to build its first two nuclear reactors. 
 
 The world’s biggest oil exporter has previously said it only wants nuclear technology for peaceful purposes, but it is unclear whether it also wants to enrich uranium to produce nuclear fuel, which can be used to produce atomic weapons. 
 
 The government approved a national policy for its atomic energy program on Tuesday, including limiting all nuclear activities to peaceful purposes. 
 
 In the 60 Minutes interview, the prince will also discuss Saudi Arabia’s controversial role in the civil war in Yemen, its relations with America and an anti-corruption probe that saw hundreds of prominent Saudis detained at the Ritz Carlton hotel in Riyadh. The purge was expected to boost state coffers by $124 billion, with dozens of high-profile figures paying a high price for freedom. 
 
 Crown Prince Mohammed has also helped bring in vital changes for women, including allowing them the right to drive for the first time in the country’s history. 
 
 He made headlines in December for buying the world’s most expensive home, a $392 million French chateau. But it was not the billionaire’s biggest purchase. 
 
 He paid a jaw-dropping $588 million at auction for Leonardo da Vinci’s Salvator Mundi this year and owns of a 440-foot yacht that is even more expensive than the house — a $645 million vessel with two pools and a helipad, which he bought from a Russian oligarch after spotting it while holidaying in France. 
 
 Saudi-watchers say the prince’s extravagance jars with his moves to jail enemies for corruption and tout fiscal conservancy at home, especially as oil prices drop. 
 
 ‘TRIANGLE OF EVIL’ 
 
 The prince visited London and met the Queen and Prime Minister Theresa May earlier this month, but the visit was somewhat overshadowed by protests over British arms sales to the Saudi government that have been used against civilians, including children, in the war in Yemen. 
 
 Saudi Arabia is considered key to any Middle East peace deal. 
 
 Saudi Arabia and Iran have long been at loggerheads, backing rival sides in armed conflicts and political crises in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen. 
 
 Crown Prince Mohammed said last year the kingdom would make sure any future struggle between the two countries “is waged in Iran”, prompting Iranian threats to hit back. 
 
 The royal has previously accused Turkey of being part of a “triangle of evil” along with Iran and hard line Islamist groups. Turkey has worked with Iran to try to reduce fighting in northern Syria in recent months. 
 
 Riyadh criticised the 2015 deal between world powers and Tehran under which economic sanctions on Iran were lifted in return for the Islamic Republic curbing its nuclear energy program. US sanctions will resume unless Mr Trump issues fresh waivers to suspend them on May 12. 
 
 Prince Mohammed’s remarks also have implications for Israel, another US ally which neither confirms nor denies the widespread assumption that it controls the Middle East’s only nuclear arsenal. 
 
 The crown prince recently said the dispute with Qatar could be long-lasting but played down its impact, dismissing the Gulf emirate as “smaller than a Cairo street”. ||||| Prince Mohammed Bin Salman. Bandar Algaloud/Courtesy of Saudi Royal Court/Handout via REUTERS 
 
 Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman has quietly seized executive control over several major Saudi businesses linked to people he detained in his corruption crackdown. 
 
 The government has taken control of the country's largest construction company, Saudi Binladin Group (SBG), and the Middle East's largest private media company, MBC Group, as well as a major investment vehicle, which held stakes in firms including Twitter and McDonald's. 
 
 In January, the government appointed a five-person committee to oversee the SBG advisory board and make executive decisions on the company's business dealings. The panel consists of two members of the bin Laden family and three carefully selected Saudi industry leaders, according to the Wall Street Journal. 
 
 The Binladin Group is owned by one of the Kingdom's wealthiest families; its chairman, Bakr bin Laden, was detained in Salman's November graft along with several other relatives. Some speculate Salman's special appointment of an advisory panel was linked to a deal to release bin Laden from custody. 
 
 Last month, Saudi Authorities planned to seize ownership of a major stake in MBC Group, owned by mogul Waleed al-Ibrahim, who also found himself caught up in the corruption crackdown. 
 
 Officials ordered al-Ibrahim to hand over his leading share in the popular media company in order to secure his release, the Financial Times reported, citing sources briefed on the deal. 
 
 And most recently, Salman's administration assumed veto power over investment decisions made by the high-profile billionaire Prince al-Waleed bin Talal, who was detained in November. 
 
 Bin Talal was released in January amid an undisclosed deal, and remains the chairman of Kingdom Holding Company, which held stakes in major international companies like Twitter, McDonald's, and the Walt Disney Company. As part of his release, the Kingdom Holding Company's $12.5 billion global investment decisions are now subject to approval by the Crown Prince's court. 
 
 The Crown Prince has been carefully planning his consolidation of power 
 
 Dan Kitwood - WPA Pool/Getty Images 
 
 The 32-year-old Crown Prince's enhanced power over several major businesses are further testament to his growing consolidation of power in the Kingdom. 
 
 The ambitious prince has already caused waves in the Kingdom with his widespread graft, which proved no leader was above Salman's law, and reportedly forced the country's wealthiest to hand over control of their companies in exchange for their freedom. 
 
 Salman also began implementing the economic and social reforms outlined in his Vision 2030 plan, tightening his control over the country's policies and imprinting his name on the country's future. 
 
 The royal powerhouse already controls Saudi's military as Minister of Defense, which was handed to him in 2015 after his father King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud came into power. 
 
 While his father, not he, remains head of state, the young leader has firmly established his power by pursuing bold foreign policy moves which include ;negotiating a US nuclear power deal and meeting with Queen Elizabeth and UK Prime Minister Theresa May to potentially secure post-Brexit investment deals. 
 
 And now that the Saudi royal has high stakes in the country's infrastructure plans, media networks, and investment companies, he has cemented his place as the most powerful man in Saudi Arabia.
– Fourteen current and former senior US officials tell NBC News that Saudi Arabia's crown prince has been hiding his mother from his father, King Salman, for more than two years. The officials say intelligence shows that Prince Mohammed bin Salman, or MBS, initially placed his mother under house arrest at a palace over concerns that she opposed the idea of the king appointing MBS crown prince and might seek to prevent him from doing so. King Salman did indeed appoint his son crown prince in June, stripping his nephew of the title; MBS was quick to consolidate power. (This week, it was reported that MBS had seized executive control of businesses linked to people he recently had arrested.) The officials say that over the past two years, MBS has kept his father from seeing his mother, using various excuses—such as claiming his mother is getting medical treatment. The 32-year-old MBS, who revealed in a recent interview that Saudi Arabia would develop a nuclear bomb if Iran did, will be meeting with the US president next week. As NBC reports, he'll likely be touted as "a reformer who's expanded women's rights" in Saudi Arabia, but the officials who spoke on condition of anonymity said his treatment of his mother proves the lengths he'll go to to ensure he is the country's next king. US officials have also told NBC that, based on interactions with King Salman, he may not be "consistently lucid"; they say he has told those around him that he misses his third wife, but he does not appear to know where she is. The Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Washington denies that she is separated from her husband. See NBC for more.