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Prince Muhammed bin Nayef named as new Saudi interior minister

Dunya News

King Abdullah has issued a decree naming Prince Muhammed bin Nayef as new Saudi interior minister.

The new interior minister Prince Muhammed bin Nayef is the son of late Crown Prince Nayef Abdul-Aziz, who died in June.Prince Nayef had also served as interior minister since 1975. He was credited with a harsh crackdown on al-Qaida elements in the kingdom in the early 2000s.The official state news agency said Monday that outgoing Interior Minister Ahmed bin Abdul-Aziz asked to be relieved of his post, nearly five months after he was named. He is the kings half-brother.Prince Muhammed escaped an al-Qaida assassination attempt in 2009. He served as commander of counterterrorism operations as well as deputy interior minister.