Saudi King Abdullah named Prince Salman as heir to the throne on Monday following the death of crown prince Nayef.

Saudi King Abdullah named Prince Salman as heir to the throne on Monday following the death of crown prince Nayef.

The monarch appointed Salman "crown prince and deputy prime minister" while also keeping him on as defense minister, state television Al-Ekhbariyah reported, adding that Prince Ahmed bin Abdul Aziz would take over from Nayef as interior minister.

Salman, 76, the half brother of King Abdullah, became defense minister in October following the death of Sultan, the then crown prince and long-serving defense and aviation minister, while Nayef was named heir to the throne.

It was the first ministerial post for Salman who had been the governor of Riyadh since 1962.
Nayef died on Saturday in Switzerland of "cardiac problems," according to a medical source in Geneva.