Saudi Crown Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz is dead.
Nayef, who had been named crown
prince in October by his brother the king, was heir to the Saudi throne.
State TV is broadcasting Quran
readings as an expression of mourning for the prince, who died in Geneva,
Switzerland.
"The news of Prince Nayef bin
Abdulaziz death was shocking to everyone in the Kingdom and to the royal
family," Saudi Foreign Ministry spokesman Osama Nogali told CNN. "We still don't
know the reason behind his death."
Nayef's body will arrive in
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia Sunday and will be buried after afternoon prayer, Nogali
said.
The crown prince served as Saudi
interior minister since 1975, having overseen the kingdom's counterterrorism
efforts.
He also served as deputy
premier.
A classified U.S. Embassy cable
leaked by the website WikiLeaks described Nayef as a hard-line conservative who
was lukewarm to King Abdullah's reform initiatives.
Culled:CNN
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