...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face...
's King Salman
...either the largest species of Pacific salmon or the current Sheikh of the Burnin' Sands, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and Lord of Most of the Arabians....
issued a wide-ranging overhaul of top government posts on Thursday, including naming a new foreign minister, following international fallout from the killing of Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi nearly three months ago.
He also ordered a shakeup of the kingdom's two supreme councils that oversee matters related to the economy and security, respectively. Both councils are headed by the king's son, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman
...
Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia as of 2016...., whose powers, including roles as deputy prime minister and defense minister, were untouched in the overhaul.
The changes appear to further consolidate the crown prince's grip on power by appointing advisers and members of the royal family seen as close to him.
Adel al-Jubeir, the soft-spoken foreign minister who took over the post in 2015 from the late Prince Saud al-Faisal, was replaced by Ibrahim al-Assaf, formerly a longtime finance minister. al-Jubeir was appointed to the rank of minister of state for foreign affairs.
Al-Assaf had been serving as a minister of state prior to being named foreign minister. He holds a seat on the boards of state-owned oil-giant Saudi Aramco and the kingdom's sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund. The crown prince oversees both entities.
Al-Assaf's biography on Aramco's website says he holds a PhD in economics from Colorado State University, a master's degree in economics from the University of Denver and a bachelor's degree from King Saud University.
The changes, which impact several key ministries, come as the king and his son, the crown prince, were looking to announce a major reshuffle following Khashoggi's killing by Saudi agents in Istanbul.