Saudi crown prince dies unexpectedly after knee treatment
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Nayef, a hawkish interior minister who crushed al Qaeda in the world’s top oil exporting country, died on Saturday eight months after becoming heir to the throne, paving the way for a more reform-minded successor.
As with previous successions, the selection process is likely to be smooth, with King Abdullah and a family council expected to start work on the appointment of a new crown prince swiftly.
Nayef’s most likely successor is the pragmatic Prince Salman, 76, a brother of King Abdullah who was made defence minister in November after more than five decades as Riyadh governor, said analysts and diplomats in the kingdom.
The new crown prince will become heir to a king who is 89 years old in a country that faces a range of tough long-term challenges at home and turmoil in the region. Saudi policy- makers are grappling with the threat from al Qaeda, unrest among minority Shiite Muslims and youth unemployment.
Meanwhile, they are engaged in a rivalry with regional powerhouse Iran as they navigate the aftermath of last year’s Arab uprisings including revolts in Bahrain and Yemen, both on their doorstep.
A source close to the royal family said Nayef had died unexpectedly in Geneva after receiving treatment for a knee complaint. He was thought to be 78.
U.S. President Barack Obama issued a statement of condolences, saying that under Nayef’s leadership, “the United States and Saudi Arabia developed a strong and effective partnership in the fight against terrorism, one that has saved countless American and Saudi lives.”
The death was not expected to trigger any major changes to the kingdom’s energy policy or to key relationships with the United States and other allies.
Analysts said Nayef ’s death meant King Abdullah was likely to call on the family Allegiance Council, which he formed in 2007, to affirm his choice of a new crown prince, probably in the coming days.