Saudi Arabias new King Salman on Friday moved to resolve the kingdoms long term succession by appointing his nephew Mohammed bin Nayef as deputy crown prince, meaning he will be the first of that generation to rule the kingdom one day.

Prince Mohammed, who remains as Interior Minister, according to the royal decree carried on state television, is next in line to rule after Salman and Crown Prince Muqrin, Reuters reported.

A close friend of the United States, Prince Mohammed has won plaudits from Western countries for his crushing of an al Qaeda insurgency from 2003 to 2006 when he was head of the kingdoms security forces and his father was Interior Minister.

Born in 1959, Prince Mohammed is relatively young by the standards of senior Saudi royals, and his appointment as second in line to rule should resolve long-term questions over the succession for many years to come.

Source: ANTARA