File photo shows King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud (L) speaks with his son Prince Mohammed in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz on Wednesday appointed his son and Defense Minister, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, as deputy crown prince.

A royal decree read on state TV said Mohammed bin Salman will “be deputy crown prince.”

He will keep his position as minister of defense and head of the economic and development council.

The majority of the Allegiance Council, whose work was formalized under King Abdullah before his passing in January, voted in favor of appointing Prince Mohammed bin Salman as deputy crown prince, Al Arabiya reported.

Hamad Al Swailem will replace Prince Mohammed bin Salman as the head of the Saudi Royal Court, according to a separate royal decree carried by the official Saudi Press Agency.

Also on Wednesday, King Salman appointed his nephew, Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, as crown prince and called upon Saudis to pledge allegiance to the new crown prince and new deputy crown prince.

The newly-appointed crown prince received his bachelor’s degree in law from King Saud University.

He held many positions during his professional career of 10 years.

He inaugurated his political career as a consultant to the Experts Commission under the Saudi Cabinet and in 2009 was appointed special advisor to then Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz, who at the time was governor of Riyadh Province.

As special adviser, Prince Mohammed also served as secretary-general of the Riyadh Competitive Council.

He was also a special advisor to the chairman of the Board for the King Abdulaziz Foundation for Research and Archives.

Prince Mohammed bin Salman then became Supervisor of Prince Salman, the Crown Prince’s Office.

In a March 2013 royal decree, he was appointed head of the Crown Prince Court with the rank of minister and special advisor to then Prince Salman.

His appointment as deputy crown prince comes amid a cabinet reshuffle which saw the appointment of the kingdom’s Ambassador to the U.S. Adel Al Jubeir as the country’s new foreign minister.

King Salman also called upon Saudis to pledge allegiance to the new crown prince and new deputy crown prince today.

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