*RIYADH – Saudi Arabia announced another cabinet reshuffle Saturday with aheavy focus on culture and religion, as the kingdom undergoes a major imagerehaul.*

This is the second significant government change since the appointment ofPrince Mohammed bin Salman, son of the king, as heir to the region’s mostpowerful throne. Prince Mohammed serves as deputy prime minister under hisfather, King Salman.

State news agency SPA announced King Salman had replaced the country’slabour, Islamic affairs and culture ministers.

The kingdom also announced it had set up a royal commission for the holycity of Mecca, which is expected to welcome millions of Muslim pilgrims forthe annual hajj in August, to be chaired by Prince Mohammed.

The powerful Prince Mohammed has consolidated his grip on power sincesidelining his cousin as crown prince last June.

He has since spearheaded a string of policy changes in ultraconservativeSaudi Arabia, including reinstating cinemas and allowing women to drive.

He was also seen as the driving force behind the detention of 200 royalsand businessmen at the Ritz Carlton in November in what the government saidwas a crackdown on corruption. Most have since been released, afterreaching settlements with the state.

On Friday, the crown prince earned a harsh warning from Al-Qaeda in theArabian Peninsula, the jihadist group’s Yemen branch, over his “sinfulprojects”, which AQAP said included a WWE wrestling event hosted by thekingdom in April. – APP/ AFP