King Salman: "We will never deviate from our constitution"
Saudi Arabian King Salman has pledged continuity, hours after his accession to the throne following the death of his half-brother, King Abdullah.
The new king moved swiftly to appoint heirs and ministers, including one prince from the ruling dynasty's third generation.
King Abdullah died overnight, weeks after being admitted to hospital with a lung infection.
Funeral ceremonies are being held ahead of his burial in an unmarked grave.
Within hours taking to the throne of the oil-rich kingdom, King Salman, 78, vowed to maintain the same policies as his predecessors.
"We will continue adhering to the correct policies which Saudi Arabia has followed since its establishment," he said in a speech broadcast on state television.
The new king's profile was updated on his official Twitter account, where he wrote: "I ask God to help me succeed in my service of the dear [Saudi] people."
Modest funeral
He named another of King Abdullah's half-brothers, Muqrin, who is in his late 60s, as the new crown prince.
Interior Minister Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, 55, was appointed deputy crown prince, making him second in line to the throne and effectively smoothing the line of succession for years to come.
Crown Prince Nayef is a grandson of King Abdulaziz, usually referred to as Ibn Saud, the founder of modern Saudi Arabia. The crown has so far passed between Ibn Saud's sons, but few are still alive.
King Salman also appointed his own son, Mohammed bin Salman, as defence minister. Other ministers, including foreign, oil and finance, were kept in place, state TV reported.
Gulf heads of state as well as foreign leaders including Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif attended a funeral prayer for Abdullah in the Imam Turki bin Abdullah mosque in Riyadh.
Mourners carried King Abdullah's body wrapped in a white shroud
In keeping with traditions of Wahhabism - the ultra-conservative form of Sunni Islam followed by the kingdom - King Abdullah is being buried in an unmarked grave immediately after Friday prayers.
Photo Source: BBC
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