Saudi King names nephew, Prince Mohammed bin Nayef as new crown prince
By Staff writer | Al Arabiya News/Wednesday, 29 April 2015
Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud on Wednesday appointed his nephew, Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, as the new crown prince. A royal decree aired on state TV announced that Mohammed bin Nayef, who is also the kingdom’s interior minister, and is widely known internationally as Saudi Arabia’s counterterrorism czar, will replace (now former) Crown Prince Muqrin bin Abdul Aziz who had requested to step down. “We have decided to respond to His Highness and what he had expressed about his desire to be relieved from the position of crown prince,” said a statement from the royal court, carried by the official Saudi Press Agency. The statement also said Muqrin was also relieved of his position as deputy prime minister. The decree named “Prince Mohammed bin Nayef as crown prince” as well as deputy prime minister and said he will continue to hold his position of interior minister and head of the political and security council, a coordinating body. This comes amid a series of reappointments across the kingdom’s cabinet which saw the appointment of Ambassador to the U.S. Adel Al Jubeir as the new foreign minister. King Salman also called upon Saudis to pledge allegiance to the new crown prince and new deputy crown prince today.
Saudi King names son, Prince Mohammed, as Deputy Crown Prince
By Staff writer | Al Arabiya News/Wednesday, 29 April 2015/Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz on Wednesday appointed his son and Defense Minister, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, as deputy crown prince.A royal decree read on state TV said Mohammed bin Salman will “be deputy crown prince.” He will keep his position as minister of defense and head of the economic and development council. The majority of the Allegiance Council, whose work was formalized under King Abdullah before his passing in January, voted in favor of appointing Prince Mohammed bin Salman as deputy crown prince, Al Arabiya reported. Hamad Al Swailem will replace Prince Mohammed bin Salman as the head of the Saudi Royal Court, according to a separate royal decree carried by the official Saudi Press Agency. Also on Wednesday, King Salman appointed his nephew, Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, as crown prince and called upon Saudis to pledge allegiance to the new crown prince and new deputy crown prince. The newly-appointed crown prince received his bachelor’s degree in law from King Saud University. He held many positions during his professional career of 10 years. He inaugurated his political career as a consultant to the Experts Commission under the Saudi Cabinet and in 2009 was appointed special advisor to then Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz, who at the time was governor of Riyadh Province. As special adviser, Prince Mohammed also served as secretary-general of the Riyadh Competitive Council. He was also a special advisor to the chairman of the Board for the King Abdulaziz Foundation for Research and Archives. Prince Mohammed bin Salman then became Supervisor of Prince Salman, the Crown Prince’s Office.In a March 2013 royal decree, he was appointed head of the Crown Prince Court with the rank of minister and special advisor to then Prince Salman. His appointment as deputy crown prince comes amid a cabinet reshuffle which saw the appointment of the kingdom’s Ambassador to the U.S. Adel Al Jubeir as the country’s new foreign minister. King Salman also called upon Saudis to pledge allegiance to the new crown prince and new deputy crown prince today.
Saudi appoints Adel Al Jubeir, as new foreign minister
By Staff writer | Al Arabiya News/Wednesday, 29 April 2015
Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud appointed Adel Al Jubeir, the Kingdom’s ambassador to the United States as the country’s new foreign minister in a wave of reappointments across his cabinet, Al Arabiya News Channel reported on Wednesday. Aramco CEO Khalid Al Falih was appointed the new minister of health. Aramco described Al Falih as “chairman of the Saudi Aramco board of directors and outgoing president and CEO” in a statement on Wednesday about a recent board meeting on Wednesday, appearing to confirm that he had been appointed as chairman, Reuters news agency reported. King Salman also appointed Adel Al Fakieh, the labor minister as economy and planning minister early on Wednesday, and appointed Mufrej Al Haqbani as labour minister, as per a royal decree released early Wednesday. Jubeir served as the Saudi ambassador to the United States since 2007 and will be replacing Prince Saud Al Faisal, appointed as foreign minister in 1975. Prince Faisal had asked to be relieved of his duties. The top diplomat is a familiar face in Western media as he often spoke to reporters about Saudi Arabia’s military campaign in Yemen. He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and economics from the University of North Texas in 1982 and a master’s in international relations from Georgetown in 1984.
Meanwhile, Al-Faisal was appointed as an advisor and a special envoy of King Salman, as well as a supervisor on foreign affairs, the royal decree added.
