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News ID: 88485
Publish Date : 13 March 2021 - 23:30

Saudi King Sacks Senior Officials

RIYADH (Dispatches) – Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud issued decrees on Friday to sack some high-ranking officials and appoint new ones, Saudi Press Agency reported.
The king dismissed Mohammad Saleh bin Taher Benten and appointed Issam bin Saad bin Saeed as the acting minister of Hajj and Umrah, who also serves as the minister of state and a cabinet member.
"Mohammed Saleh bin Taher Benten, Minister of Hajj and Umrah shall be relieved from his position,” SPA tweeted, without giving reasons behind the decision.
In recent years, the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has faced criticism over the handling of the annual pilgrimage.
On September 24, 2015, a human crush occurred during Hajj rituals in Mina, near Mecca, leaving thousands of Muslims dead.
Unofficial sources put the death toll at almost 7,000 people based on individual reports from the countries whose nationals had been among the victims of the incident.
Earlier that month, a massive construction crane operated by the Saudi Binladin Group conglomerate collapsed onto Mecca’s Grand Mosque, killing more than 100 pilgrims.
Meanwhile, Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al-Duailej was appointed as the head of the General Authority for Civil Aviation, replacing Abdulhadi bin Ahmed Al-Mansouri.
In a separate decree, King Salman named Sheikh Ali bin Suleiman bin Ali al-Sa’awi as the new head of Supreme Administrative Court. He replaced Ibrahim bin Suleiman bin Abdullah al-Rasheed.
In addition, Mansouri was named as assistant minister of foreign affairs for executive affairs and Abdul Aziz Bin Abdul Rahman Bin Abdul Aziz al-Arifi as the assistant to the minister of transport.
Some analysts say that cabinet reshuffles by King Salman are meant to bring in officials more loyal to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.