Saudi appoints new deputy defence minister
Riyadh, August 7, 2013
Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah appointed Prince Salman bin Sultan as deputy defence minister late on Tuesday in a move that strengthens his credentials for future high office in the world's top oil exporter.
The move was made in a royal decree carried by state news agency SPA. It did not give a reason for the switch.
Prince Salman is a deputy head of the national security council. He was born in 1976 and is a son of the late Crown Prince Sultan, a veteran defence minister until his death in 2011.
He has worked closely alongside his brother, intelligence chief Prince Bandar bin Sultan, on Saudi support for Syrian rebels.
Prince Salman replaces Prince Fahd bin Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Abdulrahman, who was appointed to the job less than four months ago. - Reuters
