Saudi Arabia’s King Salman Deposes Nephew, Appoints Son As Heir To Throne
Lekan Paul
Posted On Jun 21, 2017
Saudi Arabia’s King Salman has on Wednesday, announced the appointment of his son, Mohammed bin Salman, as heir to the throne and deputy crown prince.
Mohammed bin Salman will now be the first in line to the throne when his father, 81, dies.
This comes after the Saudi King deposed his nephew, Mohammed bin Nayef, as the next-in-line to the throne in a royal decree.
“His supporters praise him as hard-working and say he offers a hopeful vision for the kingdom’s future, especially for its large youth population. His critics have called him rash, inexperienced and power-hungry,” the New York Times writes of the new crown prince.
The Saudi government’s official news agency reports that the newly-announced crown prince was also named deputy prime minister and maintained his post as defence minister.
According to the decree, the former crown prince was also fired from his post as interior minister.
