Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

World

Saudi King Abdullah dies: Royal court statement 

-

Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz died on Friday and was replaced by Crown Prince Salman, the OPEC-kingpin's royal court said in a statement.

The late monarch's half brother Moqren was named crown prince, according to the statement.

King Abdullah, believed to be around 90 years old, was hospitalised in December suffering from pneumonia and had been breathing with the aid of a tube.

He died on Friday "at 1:00 am (2200 GMT)" and would be buried later in the day following afternoon prayers, said the statement.

In recent years, his advanced age and poor health had raised concerns about the future leadership of one of the world's key oil producers.

Abdullah's half-brother Salman, 79, was named crown prince in June 2012 following the death of Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz.

Salman had been representing the king at most recent public events because of the monarch's poor health.

Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz on January 5  2014 in Rawdat al-Khuraim
Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz on January 5, 2014 in Rawdat al-Khuraim
Brendan Smialowski, AFP/File

In March 2014, King Abdullah named his half-brother Prince Moqren as a second crown prince, in an unprecedented move aimed at smoothing succession hurdles.

Moqren, who was born in 1945, is the youngest of Abdulaziz's sons.

Since the death in 1952 of King Abdulaziz al-Saud, the founder of Saudi Arabia, the throne has systematically passed from one of his sons to another.

But many of them are old or have died. The former crown princes Sultan and Nayef died in 2011 and 2012 respectively.

Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz died on Friday and was replaced by Crown Prince Salman, the OPEC-kingpin’s royal court said in a statement.

The late monarch’s half brother Moqren was named crown prince, according to the statement.

King Abdullah, believed to be around 90 years old, was hospitalised in December suffering from pneumonia and had been breathing with the aid of a tube.

He died on Friday “at 1:00 am (2200 GMT)” and would be buried later in the day following afternoon prayers, said the statement.

In recent years, his advanced age and poor health had raised concerns about the future leadership of one of the world’s key oil producers.

Abdullah’s half-brother Salman, 79, was named crown prince in June 2012 following the death of Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz.

Salman had been representing the king at most recent public events because of the monarch’s poor health.

Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz on January 5  2014 in Rawdat al-Khuraim

Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz on January 5, 2014 in Rawdat al-Khuraim
Brendan Smialowski, AFP/File

In March 2014, King Abdullah named his half-brother Prince Moqren as a second crown prince, in an unprecedented move aimed at smoothing succession hurdles.

Moqren, who was born in 1945, is the youngest of Abdulaziz’s sons.

Since the death in 1952 of King Abdulaziz al-Saud, the founder of Saudi Arabia, the throne has systematically passed from one of his sons to another.

But many of them are old or have died. The former crown princes Sultan and Nayef died in 2011 and 2012 respectively.

AFP
Written By

With 2,400 staff representing 100 different nationalities, AFP covers the world as a leading global news agency. AFP provides fast, comprehensive and verified coverage of the issues affecting our daily lives.

You may also like:

World

Immigration is a symptom of a much deeper worldwide problem.

Entertainment

The Swedish city of Malmo is preparing to host the Eurovision Song Contest in early May under high security.

Business

Traveling in NY is already costly, but it just got worse: transit authorities have approved a controversial $15 toll, set to take effect in...

Tech & Science

A look at the sector that could help annually boost the global economy by $1 trillion