#Saudi king replaces energy minister, naming one of his sons

Saudi king replaces energy minister, naming one of his sons:

Saudi Arabia’s King Salman replaced the country’s energy minister with one of his own sons Sunday, naming Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman to one of the most important positions in the country as oil prices remain stubbornly below what is needed to keep up with government spending. 


The new energy minister is an older half-brother to 34-year-old Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and replaces Khalid al-Falih, who’d been in the role since 2016.

Prince Abdulaziz is an experienced oil industry figure in Saudi Arabia. He has been minister of state for energy affairs since 2017, but is not known to be close to Prince Mohammed, the king’s most powerful son and heir to the throne.