Saudi Arabia's King Salman names Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman as prime minister

JEDDAH — Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman issued on Tuesday a Royal Decree appointing Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman as Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia.

However, the weekly session of the Cabinet, which the King attends, will be held under his chairmanship, one Royal Decree read.

The Crown Prince’s appointment was made with giving an exemption to the provision of Article 56 of the Basic Law of Governance, and the relevant provisions contained in the Law of the Council of Ministers.

In another Royal Decree, the King restructured the Council of Ministers, headed by the Crown Prince.

King Salman also issued a



decree appointing Deputy Minister of Defense Prince Khalid Bin Salman as Minister of Defense. Yousef Bin Abdullah Al-Benyan has been appointed new minister of education.

The King appointed Talal Bin Abdullah Al-Otaibi as assistant minister of defense.

Prince Mohammed, 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 favour of Prince Mohammed.