Saudi Arabia’s 86-year-old king appointed his son, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, to replace him as the kingdom’s prime minister, state-run news agency SPA said.
Crown Prince Mohammed, 37, has been gradually taking on greater powers in the world’s largest oil exporter under his father, King Salman bin Abdulaziz. SPA did not give a reason for the move.
The crown prince, known by his initials MBS, already oversaw many of Saudi Arabia’s major portfolios, including oil, defense, economic policy and internal security — while his father remains head of state.