Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef has been relieved of his post and replaced by Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, a royal decree said on Wednesday.
Prince Mohammed bin Salman becomes deputy prime minister and retains his defense portfolio, the decree issued by the Saudi state news agency SPA said.
The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz issued several other royal decrees, SPA added.
King Salman called for a public pledging of loyalty to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Wednesday evening in Mecca.
The SPA report said Mohammed bin Salman was chosen as crown prince by 31 out of 43 members of the Kingdom’s Succession Committee.
The decree, issued by King Salman, also appointed Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Nayef as interior minister.
King Salman appointed the following as advisers to the Royal Court with the rank of minister: Abdul Rahman bin Ali Rubaiaan, Nasser bin Abdulaziz Al-Dawoud, Bandar bin Khalid bin Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, and Prince Turki bin Mohammed bin Fahd bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud. Faisal bin Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al-Sudairy was named adviser to the Royal Court with excellent rank.
Also appointed were: Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Salem, deputy interior minister with the rank of minister; Prince Bandar bin Faisal bin Bandar, assistant to the president of the general intelligence; Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki bin Faisal bin Abdulaziz, vice chairman of the General Authority for Sport Management; and Prince Abdulaziz bin Fahd bin Turki bin Abdulaziz, deputy to the emir of Al-Jouf.
Appointed as the Kingdom’s new ambassadors were Prince Faisal bin Sattam bin Abdulaziz, to Italy, and Prince Khalid bin Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz, to Germany.
The royal order also included the following, Chapter 2 of Article 5 of the Basic Law of Government shall be amended to read as follows: “Rule passes to the sons of the founding King, Abd al-Aziz Bin Abd al-Rahman al-Faysal Al Saud, and to their children’s children. The most upright among them is to receive allegiance in accordance with the principles of the Holy Quran and the Tradition of the Venerable Prophet.”