Saudi king sacks military chief, reshuffles other posts in major shake up

Political appointments were announced, including the rare appointment of a female Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Development

Saudi Arabia King Salman Abdulaziz Al Saud has sacked the military chief of staff and a host of other commanders in a major shake-up, state media said on Monday citing a series of royal decrees.

"Termination of the services of General Abdul Rahman bin Saleh al-Bunyan, Chief of Staff," the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) said, adding that Fayyad al-Ruwaili had been appointed as his replacement.

Various military figures have already been promoted to replace those sacked. The monarch also replaced the heads of the ground forces and air defences. 

A series of political appointments were also announced at the same time, including the rare appointment of a female Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Development, Tamadar bint Yousef al-Ramah.

The service of the Chief of Staff, General Abdul Rahman bin Saleh al-Bunyan, is among those "terminated", said the SPA. Prince Turki bin Talal was appointed new Deputy Governor of the south-west Asir province. He is the brother of billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, who was detained in the anti-corruption drive and released two months later.

This is another sweeping overhaul of Saudi institutions that has become the hallmark of the reign of King Salman, although the driving force is once again his son and heir, Crown Prince.

The sackings come as the war in Yemen, where a Saudi-led coalition is fighting rebels, is nearing the end of its third year.

No official reason was given for the changes, but they come as the kingdom's bloody conflict with Yemen's Houthi rebels nears the end of its third year.

A Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemen's government has been fighting the Huthis since 2015 in a conflict that has led to what the United Nations describes as the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

The Saudi intervention in the Yemen conflict was his initiative - one of the first indications of just how dramatically he was going to break away from the country's traditional caution.

The BBC report said the initiative has so far failed, even though it has forced the Houthi rebels out of the south of Yemen and allowed the ousted government to re-establish a foothold.

The cost for Yemen itself has been a humanitarian disaster, while it has also drained Saudi coffers in a time of austerity.

Salman is the country's defence minister and has been consolidating his grip on power in recent months.

Last year dozens of prominent Saudi figures, including princes, ministers and billionaires, were locked up in Riyadh's five-star Ritz-Carlton hotel as the prince led a drive against corruption and abuse of power.