Power shift, As Mohammed bin Salman will now be first in line to succeed his father King Salman.

Mohammed bin Salman (L) and Mohammed bin Nayef at the GCC summit in Riyadh, December 9, 2015.

In a surprise reshuffle at the top of Saudi Arabia's royal hierarchy, the country's king has deposed his nephew as crown prince in favor of his son, Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz. 

Mohammed bin Salman will now be first in line to succeed his father King Salman as ruler of the key US ally.

The 31-year-old has been appointed deputy prime minister and will continue in his role as defense minister, according to a royal decree cited by state media. 

 

Mohammed bin Salman has always had a visible role in the government, and has spearheaded the kingdom's attempts to wean itself off oil as part of an economic strategy announced last year. 

 

As defense minister, he also oversaw the Saudi-led military campaign against Yemen's Houthi rebels, which has caused the deaths of thousands of civilians since 2015 and left the country spiraling towards "total social, economic and institutional collapse," according to the United Nations.

The now former Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef bin Abdulaziz was named to that role in 2015 in what many called a surprise power-shift.

 

He replaced the king's half-brother Prince Muqrin as future ruler, bumping Mohammed bin Salman to second in the line of succession. 

 

That has now been reversed, with Mohammed bin Salman now first in line to succeed the king and his cousin Mohammed bin Nayef stripped of his title and his roles as deputy prime minister and interior minister. 

 

Source- CNN