Saudi King Abdullah has appointed his son, Prince Miteb bin Abdullah, as both minister of state and commander of the National Guard, Press TV reported.
King Abdullah also accepted the resignation of his brother Prince Badr bin Abdul Aziz as deputy head of the National Guard over health reasons.
Earlier the king had received a request from Prince Badr to relieve him from his post on health grounds, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The National Guard is the kingdom's parallel army. It comes under the direct command of the palace. The monarch has been head of the National Guard since 1962.
The palace announcement suggests that Prince Miteb maybe the likely replacement for aging King Abdullah.
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