Saudi Arabia names Prince Mohammed bin Salman as prime minister

Saudi Arabia names Prince Mohammed bin Salman as prime minister

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia on Tuesday appointed Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as the prime minister of the country.

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman has issued on Tuesday a royal decree appointing Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia.

However, the weekly session of the Cabinet, in which the King attends, will be held under his chairmanship, according to the royal decree.

The Crown Prince’s appointment was made with giving an exemption to the provision of Article 56 of the Basic Law of Governance, and the relevant provisions contained in the Law of the Council of Ministers.

In another royal decree, the King restructured the Council of Ministers, headed by the Crown Prince.

King Salman also issued a decree appointing Deputy Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman as Minister of Defense. Yousef bin Abdullah Al-Benyan has been appointed new minister of education.

The ministers keeping their positions unchanged are Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman as Minister of Energy, Prince Faisal bin Farhan as Minister of Foreign Affairs, Khalid bin Abdulaziz al-Falih as Minister of Investment, Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Nayef bin Abdulaziz as Minister of Interior, Mohammed bin Abdullah al-Jadaan as Minister of Finance.

Also keeping their ministerial titles are Prince Abdullah bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz as Minister of the National Guard, Walid al-Samaani as Minister of Justice, Abdullatif bin Abdulaziz Al al-Sheikh as Minister of Islamic affairs, Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan as Minister of Culture, Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki al-Faisal as Minister of Sports, Tawfiq bin Fawzan al-Rabiah as Minister of Hajj and Umrah, Majid bin Abdullah Al-Qasabi as Minister of Commerce.

In addition, Bandar bin Ibrahim al-Khorayef as Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources, Ahmed al-Khateeb as Minister of Tourism, Faisal bin Fadhil Alibrahim as Minister of Economy and Planning, and Fahd bin Abdulrahman al-Jalajel as Minister of Health.