The King of Saudi Arabia, Salman named his son Mohammed bin Salman as the Crown Prince on Wednesday. The king, in order to do this ousted his nephew as the crown prince. He is the first of the new generation that is set to take the throne in the conservative kingdom.
Salman’s appointment completes gradual removal of powers from Mohammed bin Nayef, who was fired. This appointment set hopes high for Saudi’s youth population. More than half the population of Saudi is under 25.
The official Saudi Press Agency issued a royal decree that said, Mohammed bin Salman, 31, was also named deputy prime minister. He also gets to retain is post as minister of defense. This puts an end to the two years of confusion in the kingdom after Salman’s retirement.
Mohammed bin Nayef, who was fired from his post as interior minister, was a veteran law enforcer who is well regarded in the West for his efforts to combat Al-Qaeda.
A foreign diplomat told a news agency on Tuesday Mohammed bin Nayef was politically “getting weaker, more marginalized.” This was after continuous cutting down of his powers and influence.
