*RIYADH – Saudi Arabia on Friday announced the creation of a new naturalresources ministry, separating it from the energy ministry, while replacingthe head of the royal court in a series of official decrees.*
Bandar al-Khorayef, a top business executive, was appointed head of the newministry of industry and mineral resources as the world’s top crudeexporter seeks to diversify its oil-reliant economy.
Other royal decrees published on state media named Fahd al-Essa as head ofthe royal court, the centre of power and politics in the monarchy.
Essa is a royal insider said to be close to Crown Prince Mohammed binSalman, the kingdom’s de facto ruler and heir apparent.
Former information minister Awwad al-Awwad was appointed head of the humanrights commission, while Mazen al-Kahmous was named new chairman of thenational anti-corruption commission.
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The shakeup comes ahead of the first anniversary in October of journalistJamal Khashoggi’s murder inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.
The fallout over the insider-turned-critic’s murder was widely seen as thekingdom’s worst diplomatic crisis since the September 11, 2001 terroristattacks on the United States, in which most of the hijackers wereidentified as Saudi nationals.
The killing tainted the image of Prince Mohammed Bin Salman even though thekingdom strongly denies he was involved. -APP/AFP
