Jamal Khashoggi murder: Saudi king appoints new foreign minister

Saudi Arabia's King Salman

Saudi Arabia's King Salman issued a wide-ranging overhaul of top government posts, 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, whose powers, including roles as deputy prime minister and defence 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.

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.

Oct 2
Day Khashoggi was killed in Istanbul's Saudi consulate

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