Saudi king names new heir, son is second in line

Crown Prince Mohamed bin Nayef.Deputy Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman.

AFPRiyadhSaudi Arabia’s King Salman announced a new heir and made his son second in line to rule yesterday. Salman named as the new crown prince his nephew Prince Mohamed bin Nayef, 55, the interior minister who a decade ago led a crackdown on Al Qaeda. He replaces Prince Moqren bin Abdulaziz, 69. Salman also named one of his sons, Mohamed bin Salman, to be deputy crown prince. Mohamed bin Salman, who is in his early 30s, will also remain as defence minister, overseeing the Saudi-led air war against Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. “It’s a historical shift really. It’s real generational change,” a Western diplomatic source said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Saudi Arabia’s long-time envoy to the United States, Adel al-Jubeir, 53, was appointed foreign minister, replacing Prince Saud al-Faisal who held the post for four decades. Saud, who had been the world’s longest-serving top diplomat, stepped down for health reasons. Moqren had been one of the few remaining high-level officials from the era of King Abdullah, who died on January 23 aged about 90. A statement from the royal court, carried by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), said Moqren’s removal was a response to “what he had expressed about his desire to be relieved from the position of crown prince”. In one of his first official duties as deputy crown prince, SPA said Mohamed bin Salman held talks with visiting Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki. Prince Mohamed “is held in high regard” by Washington because of his success against Al Qaeda and his efforts to rehabilitate extremists, according to David Ottaway, a senior scholar at the Wilson Center in Washington. The new foreign minister Jubeir has been Riyadh’s ambassador to Washington for eight years and at the forefront of the kingdom’s public relations efforts. The United States said it would continue its “close, productive relationship” with Saudi Arabia. Acting State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf also paid tribute to Prince Saud. “The alliance, as we all know, between Saudi Arabia and the US is historic and enduring, and we will continue to maintain our close, productive relationship as we work together to address a number of serious challenges,” Harf said. Secretary of State John Kerry and “the rest of our team honour the service of the longest-serving foreign minister of any country, certainly a friend of the secretary”, she told reporters. The United States would remember Saud “as a skilled diplomat, wise counsellor on regional issues, and a good friend to the United States”. Harf added the United States looked forward to working closely with Jubeir, who met with Kerry yesterday at the State Department to discuss a range of issues. The shake-up also saw Salman name Khalid al-Falih, the head of oil giant Saudi Aramco, as health minister. Ali al-Naimi retained his 20-year position as oil minister. Labour Minister Adel Fakieh was moved to the post of economy and planning, as the kingdom seeks to diversify its oil-based economy. But the country’s highest-ranking female official, Nora bint Abdullah al-Fayez, was let go from her post as deputy minister of education for girls.