Saudi King Reshuffles Military Leaders, Appoints Female Deputy Minister
(Source: Deutsche Welle German Radio; issued Feb 26, 2018)
Monday's changes are seen by many as an attempt to promote younger officials in a country where more than 50 percent of population is estimated to be under the age of 25.
Salman has appointed First Lieutenant General Fayyad bin Hamed al-Ruwayli as his new chief of staff, and put new leaders in charge of the country's air force and ground troops.
The king also appointed several new deputy ministers, one of whom was a woman — a very rare move in the patriarchal kingdom. Tamadur bint Youssef al-Ramah will now serve as deputy minister of labor. The country first appointed a female deputy minister in 2009.
Additionally, Salman Prince Turki bin Talal as deputy governor of the southern Assir Province. The prince is the brother of billionaire Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal, who was among royals, ministers and tycoons detained in an unprecedented crackdown on what the government called elite corruption.
'Young blood'
King Salman also named three new deputy governors from the descendants of the king's brothers, a move likely calculated to placate branches of the family that may have felt passed over during his ascension in 2015.
Saudi state television said the king was "pumping young blood" into the government.
The popularity of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (above right), 32, has prompted a push for young people to be involved in the deeply conservative government.
The crown prince has introduced a sweeping reform strategy for the country called Vision 2030, an effort to diversify the country's economy away from oil and to encourage more foreign investment.
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Royal Order Ends Services of Two Senior Generals, Promotes Six and Appoints Them In Senior Posts
(Source: Saudi Press Agency; published Feb 26, 2018)
-- First, terminated the service of General Staff Abdulrahman bin Saleh bin Abdullah Al-Bunyan as Chief of General Staff, and retired him;
-- Second, promoted Lieutenant General Staff Fayyadh bin Hamid bin Ragad Al-Rwaili, the Deputy Chief of General Staff to the rank of General Staff and appointed him as Chief of General Staff;
-- Third, terminated the service of Lieutenant General Staff Mohammed bin Awadh bin Mansour Suhaim, Commander of the air defense forces and retired him;
-- Fourth, relieved Lieutenant General Staff Fahd bin Turki bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, of his post as Commander of Land Forces and appointed him as commander of the joint forces in the rank of Lieutenant General Staff;
-- Fifth, promoted Major General Staff Mutlaq bin Salem bin Mutlaq Al-Ezaime'a to the rank of Lieutenant General Staff and appointed him as Deputy Chief of General Staff;
-- Sixth, promoted Major General Staff Jarallah bin Mohammed bin Jarallah Al-Elwait to the rank of Lieutenant General Staff and appointed him as Commander of the Strategic Missiles Force;
-- Seventh, promoted Major General Staff Fahd bin Abdullah bin Mohammed Al-Mitair to the rank of Lieutenant General Staff and appointed him as commander of the land forces;
-- Eighth, promoted Major General Staff Mazyad bin Sulaiman bin Mazyad Al-Amro to the rank of Lieutenant General Staff and appointed him as commander of air defense forces;
-- Ninth, promoted Major General Staff (pilot) Turki bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to the rank of Lieutenant General Staff and appointed him as commander of air forces;
-- Tenth, The minister of defense is to implement this royal order.
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