Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman named prime minister
Also: Mohammed bin Salman named prime minister ahead of Khashoggi lawsuit (The Guardian)
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Source: BBC
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman named prime minister
By David Gritten
BBC News
28 September 2022
Saudi Arabia's powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has been appointed prime minister - a post that is traditionally held by the king.
The 37-year-old son of King Salman bin Abdulaziz, 86, is already seen the de facto ruler of the oil-rich Gulf state.
A royal decree announcing his promotion from deputy PM and defence minister cited an exception to the Basic Law.
An official told Reuters news agency the move was in line with the king's previous delegation of duties to him.
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Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-63058091
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Source: The Guardian
Mohammed bin Salman named prime minister ahead of Khashoggi lawsuit
New role likely to grant prince sovereign immunity in case concerning journalist murdered in Saudi Arabian embassy
Stephanie Kirchgaessner in Washington
@skirchy
Tue 27 Sep 2022 23.19 BST
Last modified on Wed 28 Sep 2022 05.14 BST
Mohammed bin Salman has been named prime minister of Saudi Arabia in a move that experts said would probably shield the crown prince from a potentially damaging lawsuit in the US in connection to his alleged role in the murder of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Saudi Arabia announced on Tuesday that King Salman was making an exception to Saudi law and naming his son as prime minister, formally ceding the dual title of king and prime minister he had personally held until now.
The development is not likely to change the balance of power in Saudi Arabia, where the 37-year-old prince is already seen as the de facto ruler of the kingdom and heir to the throne.
But the timing of the decision was seen by critics of the Saudi government as almost certainly linked to a looming court-ordered deadline next week. The Biden administration had been asked by a US judge to weigh in on whether Prince Mohammed ought to be protected by sovereign immunity in a case brought by the fiancee of Khashoggi, Hatice Cengiz. Such protection is usually granted to a world leader, such as a prime minister or a king.
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Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/sep/27/mohammed-bin-salman-named-prime-minister-ahead-of-khashoggi-lawsuit
