Saudi Arabia’s new King Salman has further cemented his hold on power with a sweeping shake-up that saw two sons of the late King Abdullah fired and the heads of intelligence and other key agencies replaced alongside a cabinet shuffle.
Top officials from the Ports Authority, the National Anti-Corruption Commission and the conservative Islamic kingdom’s religious police were among those let go.
The new appointments came a week after Salman acceded to the throne, following the death of Abdullah, aged about 90.
Salman also reached out directly to his subjects on Thursday. One of his more than 30 decrees ordered “two months’ basic salary to all Saudi government civil and military employees,” the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) said.