Tag Archives: Saudi King

Saudi King Hopes Trump Brings ‘Stability’ To Middle East

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Saudi King Salman expressed hope on Wednesday that US president-elect Donald Trump would bring stability to the Middle East.

“We wish your excellency success in your mission to achieve security and stability in the Middle East and worldwide,” Salman said in a message of congratulations reported by the official Saudi Press Agency.

He praised the relations which are “historic and tight between the two friendly countries, that all parties aspire to develop and reinforce”.

The United States and Saudi Arabia have a decades-old relationship based on the exchange of American security for Saudi oil.

But ties between Riyadh and Washington became increasingly frayed during the eight-year Democratic administration of President Barack Obama.Saudi leaders felt Obama was reluctant to get involved in the civil war in Syria and other regional conflicts.

They also worried that he was tilting towards their regional rival, Shiite Iran, which is on the opposing side to Sunni-dominated Saudi Arabia in the wars in Syria and Yemen.

Washington and other major powers reached an agreement, which took effect in January, to lift international sanctions on Iran in exchange for guarantees that it would not pursue a nuclear weapons capability.

Saudi Monarch Pledges To Diversify Economy Amid Drop In Oil Prices

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Saudi King, Abdulaziz Salman, whose country is the world’s top oil exporter, pledged on Wednesday to diversify the economy in a bid to shore up national finances dented by a slide in crude oil prices.

 
“The kingdom is keen to implement programmes to diversify income resources and reduce reliance on oil as the main source of income,” Salman said in a statement.
Salman, who ascended to the throne in 2015, said his country had maintained economic growth despite global economic fluctuations.

 
“This growth is due to balanced and wise economic policies aimed at keeping a balance between resources and spending,” he added.

 
Saudi Arabia’s finances are under pressure resulting from the plunge in oil prices.

 
The regional economic heavyweight relies on oil revenues to finance welfare programmes for its citizens and military involvement in Yemen and Syria.

Saudi King Appoints Nephew As Crown Prince

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Saudi Arabia’s King Salman has named his powerful interior minister as heir in a major reshuffle that also saw the world’s longest-serving foreign minister replaced.

A royal decree removed Crown Prince Muqrin bin Abdul Aziz bin Saud as next in line to the throne and replaced him with Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, 55, who headed a crackdown on al-Qaeda in the country a decade ago. “We have decided to respond to his highness and what he had expressed about his desire to be relieved from the position of crown prince,” said a statement from the royal court, carried by the official Saudi Press Agency.

The decree named “Prince Mohammed bin Nayef as crown prince” as well as deputy prime minister and said he would continue in his position of interior minister and head of the political and security council, a coordinating body.

Al Jazeera’s Mohamed Vall, reporting from Jizan in the country’s south, said the moves represented a major change in Saudi Arabia. “This is the first time that a grandson of the founder of the country [King Abdulaziz], rather than a son, is appointed crown prince,” our correspondent said.