Saudi royal reshuffle a 'political earthquake of huge magnitude'

Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz has announced new heirs to the throne in a surprise reshuffle, which puts his nephew in place to succeed him.

Mohammed bin Nayef has been appointed crown prince, replacing Salman's ailing younger half-brother Muqrin bin Abdulaziz, reportedly at his own request. King Salman's son, Prince Mohammed bin Salman has been given the new title of deputy crown prince, putting him second in line to the throne.

This marks the first time a grandson, rather than a son, of King Abdulaziz al-Saud, the founder of modern Saudi Arabia, has been crown prince. Such a move constitutes a "political earthquake of the greatest magnitude", said Khalil Jahshan, the executive director for the Arab Centre of Washington.

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"The Saudi Arabia we knew a few hours ago is no longer," he told Al Jazeera. "These are serious changes that will have repercussions not only domestically but also internationally."

The appointment of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef is likely to please Washington, the BBC reports. As the country's security chief, he is well known for his ruthless response to Islamist militants, having survived an assassination attempt by al-Qaeda in 2009.

Salman took over control of the country after the death of King Abdullah in January. This latest move shows that he is "shifting further away from the legacy" of his half-brother, says the New York Times. Prince Muqrin was a close ally of Abdullah's and is one of many being pushed aside by the new king.

It is also likely to draw intense scrutiny from within the Arab kingdom, where the many "branches of the sprawling royal family" fight for positions leading to the throne, the newspaper says.