King Salman of Saudi Arabia has appointed early on Wednesday his son, Mohamed Bin Salman, as the new crown prince, deposing his nephew, Mohamed Bin Nayef. Prior to the royal decree, Bin Nayef, 57, was in line to the throne; he was also dismissed from his post as the Minister of Interior. Bin Salman was also appointed as the new Deputy Prime Minister, besides his post as the Minister of Defence. Bin Nayef has already pledged allegiance to the new crown prince, according to Saudi Media. Prince Bin Salman took offer several posts in the cabinet after his father King Salman, 81, had ascended to the throne in January 2015 following the death of his half-brother, King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz. As a Defence Minister, Bin Salman sparked criticism for his leading role in the military coalition led by Saudi Arabia to fight Houthi rebels in Yemen. This coalition was criticized by several rights organizations as these attacks allegedly led to the death of thousands of Yemeni civilians. However, the new crown prince is also celebrated due to his leadership to Saudi Arabia’s 2030 economic vision, which is set to switch the oil-rich…
Saudi King Salman Deposes Nephew, Appoints His Son As the New Crown Prince
June 21, 2017
