In a dramatic reshuffle, Saudi Arabia's King Salman has anointed his nephew, Mohamed bin Nayef, 55, as the crown prince, and elevated his favorite son, Mohamed bin Salman, 30, as the deputy crown prince Wednesday, according to Reuters.
Prince Mohamed bin Nayef, who also serves as the country's interior secretary, replaces the king's half-brother, Prince Muqrin bin Abdulaziz, to become the heir apparent, establishing a new hierarchy that has not been changed in 53 years. The new crown prince is known as a counter-terror czar and a survivor of many assassination attempts, including one carried out by an al-Qaeda suicide bomber in 2009. His age and his role in the new government makes him a very important figure in Saudi Arabia in the next decades.
Nayef will still continue to serve his ministry, as will the deputy crown prince, who is the country's defense minister. Prince Mohamed bin Salman also heads a council that sees through the economic developments of the country.
Meanwhile, King Salman has also replaced Saudi's Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal with Washington ambassador Adel al-Jubeir. Prince Saud has held his post since 1975, while the ambassador is the first non-royal to be assigned as its new foreign minister. The royal decree, which was announced in the state-controlled Saudi Press Agency on television, said that Prince Saud was asked to step down due to his health condition.
King Salman's three-month reign so far has been highlighted by controversial rulings, such as increasing the number of death sentences, as well as moving ahead with the war against rebels in Yemen, according to the Independent. But he has also ordered the release of a two-month bonus for government employees, including the retirees.
King Salman, 78, ascended to his throne only in January of this year, after the death of then King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz, who ruled the country since 2005 and as a de facto ruler 10 years before. This reshuffle is in line with the new king's firm stance for change.
