Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud ascended to the throne of Saudi Arabia after the death of his half-brother King Abdullah, taking the helm of the biggest Arab economy amid political turmoil in the Middle East and tumbling oil prices. King Abdullah, who was born in 1924, died at 1 a.m. in Riyadh . The royal court said Salman, 79, was named king and Prince Muqrin, 69, another half-brother, has been chosen as Crown Prince. Oil prices surged after the announcement. Salman was named as crown prince in 2012 and takes over as the world’s top oil exporter faces a growing threat of militant attacks at home after joining the U.S.-led military coalition against Islamic State in Syria. Regional rival Iran and its Shiite allies are gaining influence, while plunging oil prices are curbing Saudi Arabia’s capacity to invest. “King Abdullah made every effort to make sure the transition would […]