Crown Prince Nayef – the man responsible for the day-to-day running of Saudi Arabia – has died.
The
royal family said the prince, who was in his late 70s, died in hospital
abroad yesterday and will be buried today after prayers in Mecca.
He
left the kingdom last month for what was described as a ‘personal
vacation’ that would include medical tests, but no further details about
his illness have been released.
Crown
Prince Nayef was the hardline interior minister who led Saudi Arabia’s
fierce crackdown on Al Qaeda following the September 11 terror attacks.
He rose to become next in line to the throne last year after the death of his brother Sultan.
A
new crown prince will be chosen from his brothers and half-brothers,
all sons of Saudi Arabia’s founder, Abdul-Aziz. King Abdullah, 88, has
outlived two designated successors.
Foreign
Secretary William Hague said Crown Prince Nayef, who was also deputy
prime minister, served with ‘great dignity and dedication’.
Prime
Minister David Cameron paid tribute to the late crown prince for his
'leadership' and said his thoughts were with the Saudi people.
Mr Cameron said: 'My thoughts are with the Kingdom and its people at this time.
'I
had the pleasure of meeting Crown Prince Nayef in January and was
struck by the leadership and dedication with which he served his country
for so many years.'
The
figure believed most likely to be tapped as the new heir is Prince
Salman, the current defence minister who previously served for decades
in the powerful post of governor of Riyadh, the capital.
The crown prince will be chosen by the Allegiance Council, an assembly of Abdul-Aziz's sons and some of his grandchildren.
A statement by the royal family said
Nayef died yesterday in a hospital abroad.
It did not specify where. He
travelled abroad frequently in recent years for tests but authorities
never reported what ailments he may have been suffering from.
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