Saudi Arabia: The Death of a Crown Prince

Saudi Arabia's 79-year-old Crown Prince was announced dead yesterday in Geneva, Switzerland. Nayef bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, who was the minister of interior, was named Crown Prince following the death of his brother Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz eight months ago.

The funeral

The body of the crown prince arrived the Kingdom today. Funeral prayers were performed in Makkah, after the maghreb (sunset) prayers.

The death created a storm of reactions among Saudi and non Saudi netizens, in which some declared their grief and others their happiness. Below are some of these reactions.

May you rest in peace

The late Prince Nayef with Prince Salman. Photograph shared on Twitter by Haifaa Al Nasser <a href='http://twitter.com/HaifaaALnasser'>@HaifaaALnasser</a>

@iAbdulmalik: #نايف_بن_عبدالعزيز‬ رحمك الله واسكنك فسيح جناته.
@iAbdulmalik: May Allah bless your soul and may you rest peacefully in heaven
@hayagoogle: في سنه واحده يفقد اثنين من اخوانه هم اولياء عهده واعوانه ربنا قد اخذت اعوانه إليك فكن عونا لـ عبدالله بن عبدالعزيز ‎‫#نايف_بن_عبدالعزيز‬
@hayagoogle: In one year King Abdullah loses two of his brothers. May Allah be with him.
@abdullamz: رحمك الله يا ‎‫#نايف_بن_عبدالعزيز‬ … في حياتك طالبت بالاتحاد الخليجي وبعد وفاتك تتجسد هذه الوحدة بحزن ومواساة اهل الخليج اجمع
@abdullamz: In your life-time you asked for the Gulf Union, and after your death we unite in grief. Nayef may Allah rest your soul in peace
@GhadaG: ولله يافي ناس انهم يفذلكون كل شي حتى الموت، بدل مالواحد يسترجع ويشوف وش مهبب بدنياه يتفلسف عالعالم ويتنقد الموتى ! ‎‫#نايف_بن_عبدالعزيز‬
@GhadaG: Some people just keep talking even in death. Instead of criticizing the dead ones they should look back to what they have done

No, we are not praying for him!

@aofaris: ‫#نايف_بن_عبدالعزيز‬ من يعبد محمد فإن محمد قد مات ومن يعبد الله فن الله حي لايموت دعونا من التطبيل والتهويل وايضاً كفوا عن السب والشماته
@aofaris: Spare us from all this praise and criticism. He is dead now!
@al_bara: قاتل الله النفاق واللا إنسانية.. ينحر عشرات الأطفال في مجازر وحشية فلا ينبس ببنت شفة، ويموت فلان من الناس فيتباكى وكأن الدنيا انتهت بموته!
@al_bara: What kind on inhumanity and hypocrisy is this? Everyday thousands of children are killed in brutal acts and massacres without anyone saying a word.. and one person dies.. people start pretending to cry as if life ended with his death!
@RGH0DY: كيف بي أن أذكر محاسن ميت.. شروره لازالت تنبض حتى بعد موته في قلوب الأمهات والزوجات والابناء! دعوا مثاليتكم لكم ودعوني اشارك المظلومين فرحتهم
@RGH0DY: How can you ask me to remember his good qualities? His devilish acts are still continuing even after his death.. you can find them in the hearts of all the mothers, wives and sons! Please do not bother me with your perfectionism.. and allow me to share with all the detainees their joy!

Who will be the next Crown Prince?

On Twitter, netizens continued to guess who the next crown prince would be:

@alabdulkarim0: بدلاً من كثرة التساؤل عمن سيكون ولياً للعهد، الأفضل أن نتجه للمطالبة بدولة الحقوق والمؤسسات. فهي المطالبة التي ستحفظ المزيد من الاستقرار.
@alabdulkarim0: Instead of asking who will be the coming crown prince.. We better start demanding our rights.. this what will make us more stable
@WaleedMjd: بعد وفاة نايف ومن بعده ووضع البلد الحالي الذي يربط استقرارها بأسرة..ستتفكك الدولة وتنهار إن لم تتجه لإصلاح سياسي دستوري. ‎‫#نايف_بن_عبدالعزيز‬
@WaleedMjd: After the death of Nayef, and the current situation in the country which relates a whole country to a family.. the country will collapse unless there is political constitutional reform
@Mashi9a7: يكاد يكون الأمير سلمان هو الأبرز في خلافة الأمير ‎‫#نايف_بن_عبدالعزيز‬ في ولاية العهد، ولكن الترشيحات تتعدد في من سيتولى منصب وزارة الداخلية
@Mashi9a7: Prince Salman is the most likely the next crown prince, however, the many nominations regarding the next minister of interiors

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