Saudi King Salman presides over reform effort

Saudi King Salman, who ascended the throne in January 2015 and the last of the "Sudairi Seven" to rule, has presided over wideranging efforts to transform his oil-dependent, conservative Islamic realm.The agent of change has been the 81-year-old Salman's son Mohammed bin Salman, whom the king named Wednesday as crown prince and heir to the throne.Prince Mohammed, 31, is the architect of plans to diversify the economy and employ more Saudis.