King Salman bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, appointed his son and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as Prime Minister and his second son Prince Khalid as Defense Minister in a royal decree issued on Tuesday, September 27.
Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman remains as the country’s energy minister, according to the royal decree, which was relayed by official news agency SPA.
Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Finance Minister Mohammed Al Jadaan, and Investment Minister Khalid Al Falih all stayed in their positions, according to the decree.
Prince Mohammed bin Salman previously served as defense minister, while Crown Prince Khalid bin Salman, the Crown Prince’s younger brother, formerly served as deputy defense minister.
According to the ordinance, King Salman will continue to preside over cabinet meetings that he attends. In 2015, the 86-year-old ruler was crowned King.
Since 2017, Prince Mohammed has spearheaded attempts to diversify Saudi Arabia’s economy away from reliance on oil, enable women to drive, and limit clerics’ authority over society.
