Saudi Arabia mourned the death of Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz, as the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz prepared to nominate his new heir and choose a new occupant of the key defence minister’s job.

US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta expressed confidence in Riyadh’s ability to stage an effective transition in the area of defence after the death of the crown prince.

Prince Sultan, who had been heir to the Saudi king since 2006 and defence and aviation minister since 1962, died of colon cancer in New York on Saturday.

While most analysts expect the Interior Minister Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz to become crown prince, there is less certainty about the defence role, a key post in a country to cement relations with top allies.

Speaking in Indonesia, Panetta expressed confidence over the future of Saudi defence policy.

‘I believe that we can have an effective transition in Saudi Arabia with regards to the defence area,’ he said. ‘We’ve been able to have these transitions before. I think I feel confident that we can go through this transition as we move to a new defence minister.’

RESHUFFLE POSSIBLE

The changes to top Saudi personnel might prompt King Abdullah to undertake the first major government reshuffle of his reign, an event that has long prompted speculation.

With Prince Sultan’s funeral scheduled for Tuesday in Riyadh, the government is preparing for an influx of foreign dignitaries and leaders, reflecting Sultan’s status as a major figure in Saudi foreign and defence policy over several decades.

State-owned news channel Ekhbariya devoted most of its coverage on Sunday to the death, carrying a photograph of Sultan praying as it broadcast interviews with commentators and black-and-white footage of him inspecting Saudi troops in the 1960s.