Saudi king's son Mohammed bin Salman is new crown prince
Saudi Arabia's King Salman on Wednesday appointed his 31-year-old son Mohammed
bin Salman as crown prince, placing him firmly as first-in-line to the throne
and removing the country's counterterrorism czar and a figure well-known to
Washington from the royal line of succession.
In a series of royal decrees carried on the state-run Saudi Press Agency, the
monarch stripped Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, who had been positioned to inherit
the throne, from his title as crown prince and from his powerful position as the
country's interior minister overseeing security.
The newly announced Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman already oversees a vast
portfolio as defense minister and head of an economic council tasked with
overhauling the country's economy. He had previously been the second-in-line to
the throne as deputy crown prince, though royal watchers had long suspected his
rise to power under his father's reign might also accelerate his ascension to
the throne.
The young prince was little known to Saudis and outsiders before Salman
became king in January 2015. He had previously been in charge of his father's
royal court when Salman was the crown prince.
The Saudi monarch, who holds near absolute powers, quickly awarded his son
expansive powers to the surprise of many within the royal family who are more
senior and more experienced than Mohammed bin Salman, also known as MBS.
Source: Associated Press
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