Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman – known as “MBS” – was appointed prime minister by his father, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, according to a royal decree issued Tuesday.
#BREAKING: King Salman issues a royal order appointing Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as Prime Minister of #SaudiArabia pic.twitter.com/iEJNNoxGbY
— Saudi Gazette (@Saudi_Gazette) September 27, 2022
Traditionally, the Saudi king heads the country’s cabinet and serves as both monarch and prime minister. As part of the shuffle, the king restructured the Council of Ministers, now to be headed by the new prime minister and heir to the throne.
Mohammed bin Salman was instrumental in ending the Saudi-led regional blockade against Qatar, according to former White House senior adviser and presidential son-in-law Jared Kushner, who discussed the issue in his recent book, “Breaking History.”
Second son Prince Khalid was promoted from deputy defense minister to defense minister, according to the Saudi state-run news agency, SPA.
#VIDEO: Prince Khalid bin Salman greets King Salman and Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman after taking the oath of office as Minister of Defense at Al-Salam Palace in #Jeddah pic.twitter.com/KHTa7S0lU5
— Saudi Gazette (@Saudi_Gazette) September 27, 2022
Third son Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman remains as energy minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud remains as foreign minister, Mohammed al-Jada’an remains as finance minister and Khalid al-Falih remains as investment minister.
Yousef al-Benyan is to serve as education minister.
