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Saudis pledge allegiance to crown prince on social media

Rachel Baig, Yasser AbumuailekMay 8, 2015

The appointment of a new crown prince in Saudi Arabia is said to represent a major change. Here's a look at the reaction on social media where there was both praise and criticism as thousands pledged allegiance to him.

https://p.dw.com/p/1FMdA
Saui Arabia Crown Prince Mohammed bin Naif
Image: picture alliance/AP Photo/H. Ammar

When Saudi King Salman announced a crown prince at the end of April, the news of a shake-up at the top of the power pyramid caught a lot of people within the country and in the Arab world in general by surprise. DW's Arabic department takes a look at what the appointment of Mohammed Ben Nayef means for people in the region.

Crown Prince Ben Nayef is no stranger to the royal family. He's a nephew to the king and was previously Deputy Crown Prince. At age 55 he's also realatively old to be appointed to such a position, especially compared to western monarachies. And that opens the question of whether the king is genuinely interested in introducing change by bringing in a younger generation.

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