Saudi King appoints son as new crown prince

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (Kurdistan24) – Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud on Wednesday appointed his son as crown prince, replacing his nephew as the next heir to the throne.

The Saudi King’s son Mohammed bin Salman, 31, will also become deputy prime minister and continue his role as defense minister.

According to state media, King Salman’s nephew Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, 57, was removed as head of domestic security and “pledged allegiance to the new crown prince.”

Before his promotion, King Salman’s son was in charge of leading Saudi Arabia’s war in Yemen and also overseeing the country’s energy policy and economic reform.

A BBC reporter in the Middle East said the 31-year-old’s appointment comes as his father, 81, is “not in the best of health.”

Mohammed bin Salman’s promotion as crown prince was approved by 31 out of 34 members of the Saudi royal council.

The young heir has been applauded for his plans to diversify the Saudi economy which is almost entirely dependent on oil.

He has close ties with the new US administration under President Donald Trump and heavily influenced a Saudi-led isolation of Qatar on the grounds Doha supported terrorism.

Mohammed bin Salman has also taken a strict stance against regional rivals Iran, stating last month that “dialogue with the Shia power was impossible.”

“We are a primary target for the Iranian regime,” he said during a television interview.

“We won’t wait for the battle to be in Saudi Arabia. Instead, we’ll work so that the battle is for them in Iran,” the new crown prince declared.

Editing by G. H. Renaud