Saudi Arabia's crown prince MBS becomes PM in Cabinet shuffle
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Loading... - Faraja Rutto
- 28 Sep 2022
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The Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) has been named prime minister, a post traditionally held by the king, in a government shuffle announced Tuesday.
MBS, who has already been the kingdom's de facto ruler for several years, previously served as deputy prime minister under King Salman as well as defense minister.
He is being replaced as defense minister by his younger brother, Khalid bin Salman, who was deputy defense minister.
The heads of other critical ministries, including interior, foreign and energy, remained in place, according to a royal decree from King Salman published by the official Saudi Press Agency.
The crown prince, who turned 37 last month, has been first in line to succeed his father as king since 2017.
Saudi Arabia has for years sought to quell speculation over the health of the 86-year-old king, who has ruled the world's top oil exporter since 2015.
In 2017, it dismissed reports and mounting speculation that the king was planning to abdicate in favor of MBS.
King Salman has been hospitalized twice this year, most recently a one-week stay in May that involved tests including a colonoscopy, according to state media.
Sweeping changes
The crown prince became defense minister in 2015, a key step in a swift consolidation of power.
In that role, he has overseen Saudi Arabia's military activities in Yemen, where the kingdom leads a coalition backing the internationally recognized government in its fight against Iran-aligned Houthis.
He has also become the public face of a sweeping reform agenda known as Vision 2030. Read More…
