Saudi Arabia appoints new Crown Prince

Saudi Arabia's defense minister was on Monday appointed the country's new Crown Prince and heir apparent to the 89-year-old King Abdullah, state media said citing a royal decree.

Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz, 76, was selected for the role following the death of Nayef bin Abdulaziz al-Saud on Saturday.

The prince will retain his role as defense minister and is promoted to deputy prime minister, while his younger full brother Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz was made interior minister, state television said.

Salman became defense minister in October following the death of Sultan, the then Crown Prince and long-serving defense and aviation minister.

It was the first ministerial post for Salman who had been the governor of Riyadh since 1962.

Prince Ahmed had been deputy interior minister for several decades under the late Nayef. King Abdullah stays on as prime minister.

Salman is seen as a relative moderate in the fiercely conservative kingdom and is likely to continue King Abdullah's minimal reforms.

(Al-Akhbar, Reuters, AFP)