Deputy crown prince oversees Yemen action
Defence minister Prince Mohammed bin Salman, in his 30s, was named deputy crown prince
By : DC Correspondent
Update: 2015-04-30 06:55 GMT
Riyadh: Saudi King Salman’s youthful son Prince Mohammed, appointed on Wednesday as second in line to the throne, wields enormous power and is leading a war against rebels in neighbouring Yemen. Defence minister Prince Mohammed bin Salman, in his 30s, was named deputy crown prince thanks to his “massive capabilities which became evident to everyone through all the missions he had been assigned with,” said a statement by his father, King Salman, 79.
Just weeks after taking charge of the kingdom’s armed forces, Prince Mohammed assumed huge responsibility when a Saudi-led coalition on March 26 began an air war against rebels in Yemen. Prince Mohammed also retains his position as head of the economic and development council, a coordinating body, and was named as second deputy prime minister.
But he will no longer hold the crucial position of head of the royal court, a type of gatekeeper to the king. The age of Mohammed, who sports a full dark beard, is uncertain. Analysts and media have reported various ages but none higher than 35.