The death of the crown prince, a half-brother to King Abdullah and the man who was next in line to the throne, means that his brother Prince Nayef becomes the heir to King Abdullah as leader of the key oil producer.
The crown prince was variously reported to be 85 or 86.
Prince Nayef, who becomes crown prince on the death of Prince Sultan, is 78. Another half-brother of King Abdullah, he holds the portfolio of interior.
Crown Prince Sultan's funeral will take place on Tuesday after his body has been repatriated from the United States.
The Al-Saud family has ruled Saudi Arabia ever since the kingdom's establishment in 1932 and under its rules of succession the throne passes in turn to the sons of its founder Abdul Aziz, all of whom are now elderly. » | Saturday, October 22, 2011
