Riyadh/Islamabad:
Saudi Crown Prince and Interior Minister Nayef bin Abdul Aziz died on
Saturday at the age of 79, Saudi state television said on Saturday,
citing a royal court statement..
According to TheNewsTribe’s
correspondents, half brother of King Abdullah and the long-serving
interior minister of the kingdom, died in Geneva, Switzerland.
Nayef, interior minister since 1975, was
the heir to Saudi King Abdullah and was appointed crown prince in
October after the death of his elder brother and predecessor in the
role, Crown Prince Sultan.
Nayef was recently abroad for medical treatment.
Pakistan’s state owned Radio reported
that “Pakistan has termed the death of Saudi Crown Prince Nayef bin
Abdul Aziz as a great loss”.
Saudi Arabia: Prince Salman named new crown prince
ReplyDeleteJeddah: Saudi Arabia’s Defense Minister Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz was named on Monday as the kingdom’s new heir apparent following the death of Crown Prince Prince Nayef on Saturday.
Prince Salman, 76, was appointed defense minister after the passing of Prince Sultan, the then crown prince and long-serving defence and aviation minister. It was the first ministerial post for Prince Salman who has been the governor of Riyadh since 1962.
Saudi King Abdullah appointed on Monday his half-brother Prince Salman “crown prince and deputy prime minister” while retaining him as defence minister.
Prince Ahmed bin Abdul Aziz was appointed as interior minister, a position held by Crown Prince Nayef for over 30 years, state television Al-Ekhbariyah reported.
Prince Salman was widely believed to be the new heir apparent because of pragmatism and understanding of powers that dominate Saudi politics.
He also is seen as more moderate than his brother, the late crown prince.