In a cabinet reshuffle announced Tuesday, Saudi Arabia's influential crown prince Mohammed bin Salman or MBS was named the Prime Minister, a post traditionally held by the King.
Mohammed bin Salman previously served as the deputy Prime Minister and defence minister under his father, King Salman. In the new reshuffled cabinet, the heads of previous ministries of the interior, foreign affairs and energy remained in place.
The prince's appointment is not likely to change the power balance in the country as he is already seen as a de-factor ruler while also being successor to the King.
The decision is being seen by critics of the Kingdom as a move to grant immunity to the crown Prince, who faces accusations of ordering the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
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A civil complaint against Prince Mohammed, which was filed by Hatice Cengiz, Khashoggi's fiancee, in the federal district court of Washington DC in October 2020, alleges that he and other Saudi officials acted in a 'conspiracy and with premeditation' when Saudi agents kidnapped, bound, drugged, tortured and killed Khashoggi inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018.
MBS, however, has denied any personal involvement in the Khashoggi murder. US intelligence agencies have found that MBS had most likely ordered the killing.
Jamal Khashoggi, a former Saudi insider had fled the kingdom and was residing in the US. He was a vocal critic of the heir apparent and was actively seeking to counter Saudi online propaganda when he was killed.