| Saudi Arabia’s ruling monarch has appointed his half-brother to head a committee that will choose the desert kingdom’s future kings and crown princes, the official SPA news agency reported on Monday. King Abdullah chose Prince Meshal bin Abdul Aziz al-Saud to lead the 35-member committee, set up to ensure a smooth transition of power in the world’s biggest oil producer, ruled by the al-Saud dynasty for 75 years. The move is unlikely to have immediate consequences for the balance of power in the oil-rich kingdom, as Abdullah’s successor Crown Prince Sultan, who will be 80 next month, is exempt from the new rules. The king, who is in his early 80s, announced the appointment of his half-brother at a gathering of royal family members in Riyadh on Sunday evening, SPA said. He said in a speech that the dynasty’s founder Abdul Aziz bin Saud had advised his family to act as “one hand and one heart” and to “discuss any differences between us in a transparent manner and not allow anyone to interfere in our private matters.” |