Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah dies aged 90, crown prince Salman takes the reins 23 Jan 2015, Saudi king Abdullah bin Abdulaziz has died at the age of 90. He had been in hospital for several weeks reportedly suffering from pneumonia. Saudi state television cut to the recitation of Koranic verses, which often signifies the death of a senior royal. Abdullah had ruled Saudi Arabia as king since 2005, but had run the country as de facto regent for a decade before that after his predecessor King Fahd suffered a debilitating stroke. Abdullah's brother and crown prince, Salman, was declared the new king, according to a statement attributed to Salman. "His Highness Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and all members of the family and the nation mourn the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, who passed away at exactly 1:00am this morning," the statement said. A royal court statement said the late monarch will be buried later on Friday following afternoon prayers. The new king has also called on the family's Allegiance Council to pay allegiance to King Salman's half brother Muqrin, who becomes the new crown prince and heir. King Salman, 79, has been crown prince and defence minister since 2012 and was the governor of Riyadh province for five decades before that. By immediately appointing Muqrin as his heir, subject to the approval of a family Allegiance Council, Salman has moved to avert widespread speculation about the immediate path of the royal succession in the world's top oil exporter. Muqrin, 69, is the youngest of the 35 sons of Abdulaziz bin Saud, the founder of Saudi Arabia. Diplomats say Muqrin was very close to Abdullah and was frequently entrusted with sensitive assignments. New king Salman to follow in brother Abdullah's footstepsAbdullah pushed cautious changes in the conservative Islamic kingdom including increased women's rights and economic deregulation, but made no moves towards democracy and was a hawk on policy towards rival Iran. New king Salman has been part of the ruling clique of princes for decades. It is thought he will likely continue the main thrusts of Saudi strategic policy, including maintaining the alliance with the United States and working towards energy market stability. Saudi Arabia, which holds more than a fifth of the world's crude oil, also exerts some influence over the world's 1.6 billion Muslims through its guardianship of Mecca and Medina, Islam's holiest sites. Most senior members of the ruling family are thought to favour similar positions on foreign and energy policy, but incoming kings have traditionally chosen to appoint new ministers to head top ministries like oil and finance. In a country where the big ministries are dominated by royals, successive kings have kept the oil portfolio reserved for commoners and insisted on maintaining substantial spare output capacity to help reduce market volatility. Late king Abdullah praised as 'candid and courageous'US president Barack Obama expressed his condolences on Abdullah's death and saluted the late king's commitment to close US-Saudi ties. "As a leader, he was always candid and had the courage of his convictions," Mr Obama said in a statement. "One of those convictions was his steadfast and passionate belief in the importance of the US-Saudi relationship as a force for stability and security in the Middle East and beyond. "The closeness and strength of the partnership between our two countries is part of King Abdullah's legacy." US vice president Joe Biden will also lead a delegation on a trip to Saudi Arabia in the coming days to pay respects in the aftermath of King Abdullah's death. The Japanese government has offered its condolences to Saudi Arabia. "The government of Japan hopes to express our condolences to the House of Saud, the government of Saudi Arabia and its people," chief cabinet secretary Yoshihide Suga told a press conference. Mr Suga said Abdullah made pivotal contributions to peace and stability beyond the Muslim world for many years, and strengthened bilateral relations with Japan. "We wish to further our amicable relations based on the foundation built by King Abdullah," the top government spokesman said. |
