Images of Saudi King Salman, left, Prince Muqrin, center, and Prince Mohammed bin Nayef are displayed on a shop door at the al Aqeeliya market in Riyadh
The Saudi king yesterday removed his half-brother from the post of crown prince, replacing him with his nephew, and elevated his son to the position of deputy crown prince in the most significant repositioning of power among members of the kingdom’s royal family since King Salman assumed the throne in January.
The appointments, announced in a decree from the royal court, further thrust a new generation of Saudi princes into the line of succession and mapped out the future of the throne for potentially decades to come.
The post of crown prince secures Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, 55, as the most likely successor to the king. The prince, who is also the interior minister, is widely known internationally as Saudi Arabia’s counterterrorism czar and was previously also deputy crown prince.
The prince becomes the first from among his generation to be elevated to such a high position — first in line to the throne. He has survived several assassination attempts, including one in 2009 by al-Qaida. He takes over the post of crown prince from Prince Muqrin.
The royal decree also announced that the king’s son, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, had been appointed deputy crown prince. He is believed to be around 30 years old and is also the country’s defense minister. As deputy crown prince, he is essentially seen as being second in line to the throne.
The newly appointed crown prince and deputy crown prince are both from among a generation of grandsons of Saudi Arabia’s founder, the late King Abdul-Aziz Al Saud, whose sons have passed power among one another — from brother to brother — since his death in 1953.
As the new crown prince, Mohammed bin Nayef will continue to oversee the country’s massive police force and border guards as interior minister. As crown prince, he will also serve as deputy prime minister. His late father was the elder full-brother of 79 year-old King Salman. Aya Batrawy, Riyadh AP
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