Thaindian News

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA (BNO NEWS) — Saudi Arabian King Abdullah on Thursday appointed Prince Naif as the crown prince and deputy premier following the death of Crown Prince Sultan Abdul Aziz al Saud.

King Abdullah chose Prince Naif after he held a meeting with the Chief and members of the Allegiance-Pledge Commission at his palace in Riyadh, the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. He instructed princes to pledge allegiance to Prince Naif.

The Royal Court later made the announcement in a statement, saying King Abdullah had chosen Prince Naif to become the new crown prince. He was also appointed deputy premier and will continue to serve as interior minister.

Prince Naif’s political career began as deputy governor of Riyadh. He later became the region’s governor in 1953 and during the lifetime of King Abdul Aziz, the founder of the Saudi Kingdom. Naif, the 23rd son of King Abdul Aziz, also served as Deputy Interior Ministry from 1954 to 1970 and Interior Minister since 2009.

On Saturday, Crown Prince Aziz al Saud died at a hospital in New York City at the age of 83. A brief statement from the Saudi Arabian government said Aziz al Saud died after suffering from an illness, but gave no specific details. He had been diagnosed with colon cancer in 2004, causing him to undergo a series of corrective surgeries, including one to remove an intestinal polyp.

Aziz al Saud, who was born in Riyadh, then part of the Kingdom of Nejd and Hejaz, in 1928, served as Saudi Arabia’s First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense and Aviation. He became Crown Prince and Deputy Prime Minister in August 2005 after the death of King Fahd.