RIYADH: Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud has appointed Second Deputy Premier and Interior Minister Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz Al Saud as his heir, state television said last night, the Gulf Daily News reported.
Prince Nayef, 78, was appointed following the death of Crown Prince, Deputy Premier, Defence and Aviation Minister and Inspector-General Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.
Prince Nayef was also named prime minister in addition to keeping his job as interior minister.
The Crown Prince was appointed after King Abdullah met the Allegiance Council, a family body set up in 2006 to make the process of succession smoother and more orderly, the statement on television said.