Thaindian News

Riyadh, June 18 (IANS) Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Monday selected Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz as the new crown prince and appointed him deputy premier and minister of defence while Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz was made the interior minister.

The appointments followed former crown prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz Al Saud’s death Saturday. The 78-year-old was also deputy prime minister and interior minister of the country.

King Abdullah has chosen Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz, the current defence minister, as the crown prince and appointed him deputy prime minister and defence ministerthe , Saudi Press Agency quoted a royal order as saying Monday.

Another royal order said King Abdullah appointed Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz, the current deputy minister of interior, as minister of interior.

Nayef, who died following a prolonged illness, was Sunday buried after sunset prayers in the holy city of Mecca.

On Sunday, King Abdullah, together with other worshippers, offered funeral prayers for the crown prince at the holy mosque in Mecca.

India was represented by Law Minister Salman Khurshid at the funeral ceremony.

Earlier, a statement from King Abdullah, said prince Nayef died “outside the kingdom”.

He was hospitalised in Geneva and had left the country for medical tests late last month.

As the kingdom’s interior minister since 1975, Nayef had led the crackdown on Al Qaeda’s offshoot in the country after the Sep 11, 2001 attacks in the US.