Salman new King, Oman declares 3-day mourning
MUSCAT/ RIYADH — His Majesty Sultan Qaboos has condoled the death of Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah on Friday. His Majesty ordered an official mourning period, with flags in the country to be lowered to half mast, and a three-day public holiday from Friday.
King Abdullah died on Friday and was replaced by his half-brother Salman as the Saudi ruler.
His Majesty expressed his sincere condolences in a telegram to Salman bin Abdulaziz al Saud on the death of Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al Saud. “His Majesty expressed his sincere condolences to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, and to the family of each Saud royal brother and the Saudi people, praying to Allah Almighty to rest the deceased in peace.”
Global leaders paid tribute to the late ruler.
In his first public statement as the new ruler, the 79-year-old King Salman vowed to maintain a steady course for Saudi Arabia.
Salman named the interior minister, Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, as second in line to the throne and one of his sons, Prince Mohammed, to replace him as defence minister.
Abdullah was hospitalised in December suffering from pneumonia. Abdullah was buried on Friday following afternoon prayers. The body was carried in a simple white shroud to an unmarked grave in a Riyadh cemetery where many of his commoner subjects rest, in keeping with ascetic traditions.
There was no official mourning period in Saudi Arabia and flags around the kingdom all flew at full staff.
While the afternoon prayer that preceded Abdullah’s burial took place before ranks of Muslim leaders, Saudi princes, clerics and businessmen, his body was transported to the mosque in a city ambulance.
It was borne through the crowds on a carpet on a simple stretcher, laid in front of the faithful at prayer and then carried by Abdullah’s relatives to the graveyard, where it was laid in the ground with no ceremony.
Under Abdullah, who took the throne in 2005, Saudi Arabia has been a key ally of Washington in the Arab world, most recently joining the US-led coalition carrying out air strikes against the IS group in Syria and Iraq.
Salman is a stalwart of the royal family credited with transforming Riyadh to a thriving capital.
