Salman named Crown Prince, Ahmed Minister of Interior

Prince Salman Bin Abdul Aziz (left), who has been appointed Crown Prince and Deputy Prime Minister, retains the defense portfolio. Prince Ahmed Bin Abdul Aziz, who has been serving as Deputy Minister of Interior since 1975, takes over as Interior Minister.

TAIF — King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, named Prince Salman Bin Abdul Aziz, Defense Minister, as Crown Prince and Deputy Prime Minister Monday following the death of Prince Naif.

Prince Ahmed Bin Abdul Aziz was appointed Interior Minister.

Prince Salman, who became defense minister last November following the death of Crown Prince Sultan, will retain the defense portfolio, according to a Royal Decree.

From 1962 until last year, Prince Salman served as Emir of Riyadh.

In his five decades of administering Riyadh and its surroundings, Prince Salman oversaw the development of the capital from a large desert town into a metropolis of 4.6 million people.

He was taught in the “Princes’ School” in Riyadh which was established by King Abdul Aziz to provide education to his children.

Prince Salman is the Chairman of the King Abdul Aziz Foundation for Research and Archives and of the King Abdul Aziz Museum. He is also the Chairman of the Prince Salman Center for Disability Research and the Prince Fahd Bin Salman Charitable Society for the Care of Kidney Patients. He is a strong advocate for philanthropy in poor Muslim nations such as Somalia, Sudan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Prince Ahmed was appointed Deputy Minister of Interior in 1975.

Prince Ahmed, who was born in 1941, received primary and secondary education in Riyadh. Then he went to Redlands College in the United States for university education in 1962.

Prince Ahmed graduated from the university in 1968, receiving a bachelor of arts degree in management.

In June 1971, King Faisal appointed Prince Ahmed as the Deputy Governor of Makkah.

His main function as deputy interior minister was to deal with the different provinces of the Kingdom. He is also operational head of the Special Security Force. This force was established in 1979.

King Abdullah issued the two Royal Decrees Monday following the death of Prince Naif, who died in Geneva, Saturday.

Three days for receiving condolences on the death of Crown Prince Naif are scheduled from Monday to Wednesday at Al-Salam Palace in Jeddah after the Maghreb (sunset) prayers.

The King received at his palace in Taif heads of states, kings and a number of envoys of friendly countries including King Juan Carlos of Spain and King Hamad Bin Issa Al-Khalifa of Bahrain who offered their condolences on the death of the late Crown Prince Naif.

The King also received the Kingdom’s Grand Mufti, scholars, sheikhs, ministers and senior officials. — SG/SPA