( CNN ) After the death of King Abdullah , Saudi Arabia quickly announced that one of his younger brothers , Crown Prince Salman , was succeeding him . The man taking control of the world 's top oil exporter is well established in the Gulf kingdom 's corridors of power . Salman , 79 , is `` a stalwart of the royal family '' who is `` viewed as a pragmatic and cautious reformer , much like his predecessor , '' says CNN 's Becky Anderson in Abu Dhabi . He has served as defense minister and deputy prime minister of Saudi Arabia , a vital U.S. ally in the Middle East , for years . Like Abdullah , he 's one of the dozens of sons of Saudi Arabia 's founder , King Abdulaziz . Here are some of the key points about the new ruler . Salman was governor of the Saudi capital , Riyadh , for nearly five decades during a period of significant change . `` When he became governor in 1963 , Riyadh had 200,000 inhabitants — today it has more than seven million , '' Bruce Riedel , a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution 's Center for Middle East Policy , said in a commentary . `` Salman presided over this remarkable transformation with a record for good governance and a lack of corruption . '' `` He had to be a combination ... of a reformer , of a judge , a jury in some cases , and deal with dissent , as well as dealing with economic issues , '' Robert Jordan , a former U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia , told CNN . `` So I think he 's well prepared for the task at hand . '' Salman 's experience running Riyadh also involved keeping many of the numerous members of the Saudi royal family in line . `` Since most of the royal princes and princesses live in Riyadh , he was also the family sheriff , ensuring any transgressions were dealt with smoothly and quietly , with no publicity , '' said Riedel , who worked for the CIA for 30 years . His national roles have since brought him wider responsibility . Salman `` has been chairing cabinet meetings for several months and handling almost all foreign travel responsibilities for the monarchy since he became the heir in 2012 , '' Riedel said . Salman 's ascension to the throne is in line with the appointments put in place by Abdullah before his death . `` I think that you 'll see a continuation -- very similar policies , very similar dynamics unfolding , '' said James Zogby , president of the Arab American Institute . `` The kingdom is modernizing ; it 's changing , it 's reforming and it will continue to do so over the next several decades . '' Riedel says the royal family `` values family collegiality and harmony highly . '' `` The two previous Saudi kingdoms in the 18th and 19th centuries were wracked by internal family squabbles , which their foreign enemies exploited , '' he explains . `` With the Arab world facing its worst crisis in decades , the royals will want to present an image of stability and strength . '' Salman 's first order after assuming the throne was to appoint his youngest brother , Prince Muqrin , as the new crown prince . Analysts see that appointment as an effort to ensure future stability . Abdullah had named Muqrin as deputy crown prince in March . At 69 years old , Muqrin is relatively youthful . A former head of intelligence for the kingdom , he is also reportedly well-liked by world leaders . Muqrin `` has been closely linked to Abdullah and his policies of modernization and reform , '' according to Cordesman . But the succession plan is n't without its critics . Muqrin 's mother does not have royal blood , which is a sticking point for some people in Saudi Arabia . Several of Salman 's sons also hold prominent positions . They include Prince Sultan , who in the 1980s became the first Muslim astronaut and is now the president of Saudi Arabia 's tourism authority ; Prince Abdulaziz , the deputy oil minister ; and Prince Faisal , the governor of the Medina region . Another son , Prince Khaled , was reportedly among the pilots who carried out the first airstrikes on ISIS positions in Syria last year . Details about Salman 's earlier life and upbringing were n't immediately available Friday . But an official biography contained one nugget about his youth : he had apparently memorized the Quran by the age of 10 , it said . King Abdullah 's legacy : 5 things to know . CNN 's Dana Ford contributed to this report .
Becky Anderson is `` viewed as a pragmatic and cautious reformer , '' the Brookings Institution 's 's Salman says . He ran the Muslim capital for the 18th and 19th centuries as its population grew significantly .