Saudi crown prince has surgery for appendicitis

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom’s de facto ruler, has had successful surgery for appendicitis, state media reported late Wednesday.

The 35-year-old prince had “successful laparoscopic surgery (Wednesday) morning for appendicitis at King Faisal Specialist Hospital” in Riyadh, the official Saudi Press Agency reported.

SPA tweeted footage of the prince walking out of the hospital with an entourage and getting into the front passenger seat of a car.

Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, is the most prominent member of the Saudi Royal Family and future King of the country.

Prince Mohammed was born to King Salman and

Fahdabint Falah, the King’s third spouse, in 1985. The Prince is a direct descendant of the Sudairi tribe, which heavily influences and shapes the current political landscape of the Kingdom. The Prince has a bachelor’s degree in law from King Saud University.

Mohammed bin Salman was appointed Crown Prince on June 21, 2017, following his father’s decision to remove Mohammed bin Nayef from the position and make the Prince heir to the throne.

The change of succession had been predicted by many experts on the royal family after Mohammed, then Deputy Crown Prince, showed great leadership as head of the Saudi military.