Saudi King Names Interior Minister Crown Prince

RIYADH—Saudi King Abdullah late Thursday named his conservative half brother and interior minister, Prince Nayef, as the crown prince following the recent death of the heir-apparent to the kingdom's throne.

Prince Nayef is one of the most powerful princes in the world's top oil-producing nation. He became the crown prince after a special committee, set up by the royal family five years ago to regulate the kingdom's opaque process of succession, reached an agreement on his elevation.

The so-called Allegiance Council, representing every branch of the dynasty founded by King Abdulaziz Ibn Saud last century, has never been tested before.

The move comes after crown prince and defense minister Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, who was believed to be 86 years old, died in New York while undergoing treatment for an illness that analysts believed was cancer. His death raised questions over succession in the oil-rich kingdom as unrest continues to sweep the region and challenge nations' rulers.

Prince Nayef, believed to be 77, had been appointed as second deputy prime minister in 2009, an informal indication that he was next in line to the throne after the king and the crown prince.

Prince Nayef's appointment, which was expected, worries the more liberal Saudis who say his record as interior minister since 1975 involved blocking some reforms and overseeing crackdowns on political dissidents.

Other analysts, however, say the nature of his job as interior minister demanded an authoritarian approach. They believe he might show a different face if he ever becomes king.

Unlike most kingdoms' rules of  Read more