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The statement said that the bomber was killed in the blast, but had been identified and was on Saudi Arabia's most-wanted list. The statement, carried on Saudi's state news agency, said the man had previously expressed his desire to surrender himself to Prince Mohammad.

Prince Mohammad is the son of Interior Minister Prince Nayef bin Abdelaziz, who is third in line to the throne. Prince Mohammad, who was educated in the U.S., functions as a deputy to his father and is seen as having day-to-day control of antiterrorism operations. He works closely with U.S. officials on terrorism intelligence issues.

Prince Nayef, the interior minister, came under heavy criticism from Washington in the months after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks for his perceived lack of action against al Qaeda militancy and the group's network of financiers. Saudi Arabia's track record on fighting terrorism has improved as Prince Mohammad has taken more control over the ministry's work, according to U.S. officials.

Earlier this month, Saudi officials announced the arrest of 44 suspected militants alleged to be linked to al Qaeda. Last month, officials said they convicted 330 al Qaeda militants, but gave few details about the convictions.

Human-rights organizations have criticized the methods that the interior ministry has used in its efforts to crackdown on militants, saying that security sweeps often net political dissidents as well as people who allegedly have links to militant groups. Those arrested by the authorities rarely have access to lawyers, and in many cases families aren't told the reason for their detention, critics allege.

Saudi Arabia has denied systemic problems, saying allegations of human-rights abuses are investigated and dealt with on an individual basis.

Thursday's bombing -- an extremely rare assassination attempt that came so close to such a high-profile royal target -- could represent a setback in the program.

Saudi television broadcast Saudi Arabian King Abdullah visiting Prince Mohammad, who is the king's nephew, in the hospital. The king commended his services to the country, state media reported. But in what could be interpreted as a mild rebuke, the king also asked how the bomber had been allowed so close to him without more rigorous security screening.

"It was a mistake," Prince Mohammad replied, according to state television.

Al-Arabiya, the Saudi-owned news channel, reported Friday that the bomb had been fixed to the assassin's body, and the blast was triggered when the man received a cellular phone call.

The government statement said that Prince Mohammad's injuries were slight, and he didn't spend the night in the hospital. No one else was injured in the blast, it said.

Write to Margaret Coker at margaret.coker@wsj.com