Saudi Arabia reshuffles cabinet: Royal decree

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Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has become the Kingdom's Prime Minister, a Saudi royal decree said on Tuesday.

Saudi King Salman ordered the cabinet reshuffle, with the King's son Khalid bin Salman, the former deputy defense minister, as the new defense minister.

Moreover, the Saudi SPA news agency indicated that Prince Khalid bin Salman was appointed as Minister of Defense, instead of his brother, Mohammed bin Salman.

According to the Saudi agency, the royal order also stated that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, shall be Prime Minister of the Council of Ministers, as an exception to the provision of Article 56 of the Basic Law of Governance and from the relevant provisions contained in the Council of Ministers system. 

The new, yet old Saudi government

The ministers who will maintain their positions 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 will serve 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.