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Saudi Arabia's King Salman on Wednesday named his powerful Interior Minister as heir to the throne and a son as second in line, under a shakeup that also saw the world's longest-serving foreign minister replaced, AFP reported.

A royal decree removed Crown Prince Moqren bin Abdul Aziz bin Saud and replaced him with Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, who headed a crackdown on Al-Qaeda a decade ago.

"We have decided to respond to his highness and what he had expressed about his desire to be relieved from the position of crown prince," said a statement from the royal court, carried by the official Saudi Press Agency.

It added that Moqren was also relieved of his position as deputy prime minister in the world's largest oil exporter.

The decree named "Prince Mohammed bin Nayef as crown prince" as well as deputy prime minister and said he will continue to hold his position of interior minister and head of the political and security council, a coordinating body.

The dismissal of Moqren removes the last-remaining high-level official remaining from the era of King Abdullah, who died on January 23 and was replaced by Salman,79.

Moqren, 69, would have been the last son of the kingdom's founder, Abdul Aziz bin Saud, to rule.