The king of Saudi Arabia, Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz al Saud, has died, and now the throne belongs to his half-brother, the 79-year-old prince Salman. Abdullah, who was around 90 years old (the exact date of his birth is not known), had been hospitalized since December 31 in Riyadh due to pneumonia.
An ally of Washington and Westerners in the fight against al Qaeda and today of ISIS, Abdullah has officially governed the Kingdom since 2005 but in reality he has held the reins since his half-brother, King Fahd, suffered a stroke in 1995.
In his first speech, the new king Salman declared that there will be no changes in the Kingdom's policy and launched an appeal for Muslim unity. "We will remain, with God's strength, on the straight path followed since his creation by King Abdul Aziz Ibn Saud and his sons after him," said the new ruler.
The new king then invoked Allah's support to assume this "great responsibility", before announcing by royal decree the appointment of Mohammed bin Nayef as future crown prince and one of his sons, Prince Mohammad, as defense minister.
King Abdullah will be buried in Riyadh after afternoon prayers in the presence of several foreign leaders. Saudi nationals will later be asked to pay allegiance to the new ruler and Crown Prince Moqren, Abdullah's half-brother, at the royal palace.
