Saudi Arabia’s new crown prince says post comes with ‘great responsibility’

In his first statement after his appointment as new heir, Prince Nayef Bin Abdul Aziz of Saudi Arabia thanked King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz for his “trust” and said he appreciates “the great responsibility” of the new post.

Prince Nayef also praised King Abdullah for his leadership during a troubled time in the Arab world, with protests that have largely spared the kingdom sweeping several countries, unseating three presidents so far.

“He has succeeded in making the kingdom peaceful and stable... thanks to his wise leadership. Otherwise, we would have been hit like others. But thanks to Allah, we have a good and capable king, and a decent faithful people,” he added.

Saudi citizens swore allegiance on Saturday to Prince Nayef, described by the local press as the “man for the job” and praised in Washington for his commitment to fight terrorism.

Prince Nayef, who served as interior minister for nearly four decades and led a crackdown on al-Qaeda in the kingdom, was named in a royal decree on Thursday to succeed Prince Sultan who died in the United States last week following a long illness and was buried in Riyadh.

Saudi citizens paid allegiance to the new crown prince in a royal palace in Riyadh, state media reported.

The ceremony was open to all citizens, who poured in to greet him in keeping with the tradition in the kingdom.

Citizens in other regions in the vast desert kingdom will be able to pledge allegiance on Sunday to provincial governors.

Thursday’s appointment of Prince Nayef, 78, as crown prince, “was a source of satisfaction for all Saudis,” al-Watan daily reported, praising him as having the qualities of a “man of state.”

Prince Nayef “well deserved the position given his security and political experience,” al-Riyadh daily reported. Prince Nayef was promoted from second vice prime minister to first deputy. He has also headed the ministry of interior for 36 years.

“He is the man for the job,” because internal and regional dynamics “require an experienced and determined man” in power, said al-Jazeera, another Saudi paper, in an editorial under the title “the man for difficult missions.”

U.S. President Barack Obama welcomed the choice of Prince Nayef as a successor to the throne of the oil-rich kingdom, a major U.S. ally in the Middle East.

“We in the United States know and respect him for his strong commitment to combating terrorism and supporting regional peace and security,” President Obama said in a statement on Friday.

Prince Nayef was reputed for overseeing a highly-successful fight against Al-Qaeda.

Under his leadership, the interior ministry faced the rise of al-Qaeda in the kingdom with a bloody wave of attacks between 2003 and 2006.

He cracked down on the network, forcing its leaders and its members to flee to Yemen where they continue to threaten Saudi interests. He also dismantled charitable organizations that collected donations for the network.

Prince Nayef also oversees security measures during the annual Muslim hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, which attracts around two million people from abroad, and whose rites for the year begin next week.