Saudi King Appoints New Riyadh Governor

Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah on Thursday appointed Prince Khaled bin Bandar bin Abdul Aziz as the new governor of the capital Riyadh, the official SPA news agency reported.

It said the king also named one of his sons, Prince Turki, as deputy governor in place of Prince Mohammed bin Saad, who had asked to step down.

The new governor succeeds the king's half-brother Sattam who died on Tuesday at the age of 72 after occupying the post since October 2011.

A graduate of Britain's Sandhurst military academy, Prince Khaled was promoted in 2011 to general commanding the kingdom's ground forces.

SPA published a royal decree replacing him in that post by General Eid bin Awadh al-Shalawi.

At 89, King Abdullah's age and declining health are a source of constant speculation on the future leaders of Saudi Arabia, a key player in the Middle East and the world's largest exporter of crude oil.