Saudi Succession Shake-Up: King Salman Appoints His Son As Crown Prince, Ousts Nephew

In major reshuffle notified through a royal decree on Wednesday, Saudi Arabia's King Salman has appointed his son Mohammed bin Salman as Crown Prince, ousting Mohammed bin Nayef, his 57-year-old nephew, who was appointed as the kingdom’s crown prince on 29 April 2015.

Mohammed Bin Salman, 31, has been serving as Saudi Arabia's Defence Minister and Deputy Crown Prince for the last few years. He is also the head of the economic council tasked with overhauling Saudi Arabia's economy. He has played a prominent role in efforts to build the country’s economy beyond the oil industry and is currently overseeing a vast portfolio.

According to CNBC, the young prince had been educated in the kingdom, wears traditional dress and is popular with young Saudis. He had previously been the second-in-line to the throne as deputy crown prince.

According to Al Jazeera, the Saudi king has called for a public pledging of allegiance to the new crown prince later today (Wednesday).