New Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Nayef and his new deputy Mohammed Bin Salman, received pledges of allegiance on Wednesday evening from former crown prince Muqrin Bin Abdul Aziz and a crowd of Saudi citizens in their inauguration ceremony held in the Governance Palace in Riyadh, Saudi news website Al Arabiya reported.

Saudi King Salman Bin Abdel Aziz Al Saud issued a royal decree early Wednesday appointing Prince Mohammed Bin Nayef as the new crown prince replacing Muqrin Bin Abdul Aziz.

The 79 year old king also selected the current defence minister, the thirty year old Mohammed Bin Salman, his own son, as deputy crown prince, making him the second in line to the throne in the Saudi kingdom.