In a royal decree published on Monday, Saudi Arabia's King Salman appointed his son, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, to run the affairs of the kingdom as he sets off on his annual vacation, Saudi Gazette reported.
This is the first time bin Salman has taken on such control since his ascension to the role of crown prince last month.
The announcement of his new post was a major development in the kingdom and King Salman concluded the decision after 31 out of 34 members of the country's Allegiance Council reached an agreement on it.
The newly-appointed crown prince was also named deputy prime minister at the time and maintains his post as defense minister.
A private vacation in Morocco
This year, King Salman is spending a private vacation in Morocco.
According to Saudi Gazette, the monarch arrived in the country on a private jet Monday evening.
After his arrival at the Ibn Battouta Airport in the port city of Tangier, Salman was officially received by Morocco’s Prime Minister Saadeddin Al-Othmani, along with a number of the country's senior officials.
He was accompanied by a number of Saudi princes, ministers, and officials.
In pictures published by Saudi Gazette, the king is seen being welcomed with traditional sweets and beverages.