Saudi Arabia replaces ambassador to USA

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), picked Princess Reema bint Bandar as the new Ambassador to the United States.

The Crown Prince, popularly known as MBS, made the announcement as part of three royal decrees which include the appointment of the now former US Ambassador, Prince Khalid bin Salman, as the next deputy Defence Minister of the Kingdom.

The decision takes significance as the new appointments come after the death of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in October last year, which brought Saudi-US ties to the forefront.

US President Donald Trump refused to blame MBS for the murder, despite the existence of a CIA report which concluded that the Crown Prince, who doubles up as the deputy King, ordered the scribe's death.

This is reportedly the first time ever that a female has been appointed as the Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to the United States.

The third royal decree orders the payment of a month's salary as a reward to the participants of front-line military action in the "southern region of the Kingdom," reports Al Arabiya.

The incumbent ruler of the nation, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, had on Saturday issued a decree in which he picked MBS to "steer the state's affairs" during the monarch's visit to Egypt for the first joint Arab League-European Union summit slated to take place from February 24 to 25.