If current Saudi Arabian King Salman would pass away, his successor will be his nephew, 55-year-old Interior Minister Mohammed bin Nayef. He made the change on Wednesday, signaling a major power shift. 

The deputy crown prince is the king's son, 30-year-old Defence Minister Mohammed bin Salman. It will be for the first time since 1953 that the crown will be passed to the new generation.

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The change, however, displaced the king's half-brother, Prince Muqrin bin Abdulaziz, who used to be the crown prince. Salman defended the changes as having the approval of the Allegiance Council made up of family members.

Members of the royal family, including Prince Muqrin, showed their support for the changes by going to the palace and pledging their alliance to Mohammed bin Nayef and Mohammed bin Salman.

The powerful pair both chair committees that determine how security and economic development would move in the kingdom. They also lead the air strikes of the coalition against the Houthis in Yemen.

At 30, Mohammad bin Salman is seen as too young to become king if his father, who is suffering from Alzheimer's, would die. However, given the two changes in less than a year, the chances of more changes forthcoming are not discounted.

The king also made Adel al-Jubeir, a non-royal, as ambassador to Washington. He replaces Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal who had held the post since 1975. The outgoing minister is suffering from Parkinson's disease and has requested for his retirement.

It is the second round of changes that Salman made after he succeeded his brother, King Abdullah, in January. In the first round, the new king removed Khaled al-Tuawijri as bureau chief, and two of his sons, Mashal, as governor of Mecca, and Turki, as governor or Riyadh.

He also removed then two major security officials, the intelligence chief Khalid bin Bandar, and the head of the National Security Council, Bandar bin Sultan.

Haartz reports that the changes did not catch Saudi residents by surprise since it was expected since the start of Salman's reign that Prince Muqrin would not be crown prince for long. The nephew's appointment as crown prince was also anticipated.

TagsKing Salman, Mohammed bin Salman, crown prince