- Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah dies at 90, Salman becomes new ruler, consolidates powers on first day, pledges no change in kingdom’s direction, calls for solidarity among Muslim, Arab nations
- As world leaders express condolences, PM Sharif announces one day of mourning, national flag flown at half-mast
Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz died on Friday and was replaced by Crown Prince Salman bin Abdul Aziz.
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and new king Salman joined Gulf rulers and members of the Saudi royal family, foreign heads of state and government, diplomats and senior Saudi officials for a funeral service at Riyadh’s Imam Turki bin Abdullah mosque.
Abdullah’s shrouded body was borne on a simple litter by members of the royal family wearing traditional red-and-white checked ‘shemagh’ head gear. The body was quickly moved to nearby al-Od public cemetery where it was buried.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif also flew to Saudi Arabia to attend the funeral. The premier was accompanied by Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and special assistant Tariq Fatemi.
King Abdullah, believed to be around 90 years old, died on Friday at “1:00 am (2200 GMT)”, said a statement. He was hospitalised in December suffering from pneumonia and had been breathing with the aid of a tube. 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 has been responsible for significant social, economic, cultural and political reforms.
He pushed through cautious changes while in power, challenging conservatives with moves such as including women in the Shura Council, an advisory body. He promoted the kingdom’s economic development and oversaw its accession to the World Trade Organisation, tapping into the country’s massive oil wealth to build new cities, universities and high-speed railways.
NEW KING SALMAN:
Saudi citizens were invited to pledge allegiance to Salman at the royal palace where another of the late monarch’s half-brothers, Muqrin, was named crown prince.
Salman has served as governor of Riyadh for years and enjoys a reputation for good governance. He acted as the family enforcer, discreetly settling problems with some of the thousands of royals who live in the capital. He was also active in collecting funds to support the mujahideen who were encouraged to fight the Soviet Union in Afghanistan in the 1980s besides working closely with the Wahabi clerical establishment.
King Salman was named crown prince in June 2012 following the death of Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz and had been representing the king at most recent public events because of the monarch’s poor health.
NEW APPOINTMENTS:
Immediately after his accession to the throne, King Salman made several key appointments including calling on the family’s Allegiance Council to pay allegiance to Muqrin as his crown prince and deputy prime minister.
In March 2014, the then king Abdullah named his half-brother Prince Muqrin as a second crown prince, in an unprecedented move aimed at smoothing succession hurdles.
Prince Muqrin, the youngest of Abdul Aziz’s sons, was born in 1945 and occupied several senior positions in the kingdom, including special advisor to late King Abdullah, head of general intelligence and governor of Madinah. He was also part of the Saudi Royal Air Force.
Moving quickly to clear uncertainty over the transition to the next generation, King Salman named his nephew and Interior Minister Prince Mohammed bin Nayef as second in line to the throne, according to a royal decree on Friday.
He also appointed one of his own sons, Prince Mohammad, as defence minister.
The king decided to keep other ministers, including in the foreign, oil and finance portfolios, in their positions, said a television report citing a royal decree.
Since the death in 1952 of King Abdul Aziz 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. Former crown princes Sultan and Nayef died in 2011 and 2012 respectively.
NEW KING ALSO CALLS FOR UNITY AMONGST MUSLIMS:
King Salman, in his first public address, pledged no change in the kingdom’s direction and called for solidarity and unity among Muslim and Arab nations.
He also vowed to continue on the same path set by King Abdul Aziz, the founder of the Saudi state.
“We will remain with God’s strength attached to the straight path that this state has walked since its establishment by King Abdul Aziz bin Saud, and by his sons after him,” Salman said in his first televised address since the passing of King Abdullah.
CHALLENGES FOR THE NEW KING:
Stability and continuity are likely to be guiding principles of the new king, at a time of alarm over the rise of ISIS in Iraq and Syria, turmoil in neighbouring Yemen, the kingdom’s rivalry with Iran and controversy over its resisting calls for OPEC production cuts as the price of oil has plummeted.
Salman is expected to follow closely in Abdullah’s footsteps in foreign and energy policy as well as in making moderate reforms to the kingdom.
Saudi Arabia has managed to avoid the social upheaval that has shaken many of its neighbours in recent years, thanks in large part to massive public spending. But the new king will face some major challenges, especially as falling oil prices cut into state revenues.
CONDOLENCES POUR IN FROM AROUND THE WORLD:
Meanwhile, world leaders took to social media to express their condolences to Saudi Arabia.
President Barack Obama was quick to pay tribute to Abdullah as a “valued” ally and the White House released a statement to pass on the sympathies of the American people.
Under Abdullah, 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 ISIS.
“The closeness and strength of the partnership between our two countries is part of King Abdullah’s legacy,” said Obama, adding that the late monarch believed in the importance of the US-Saudi relationship as a force for stability and security in the Middle East and beyond.
US Vice President Joe Biden said on Twitter he would lead a delegation to Saudi Arabia “to pay respect and offer condolences”.
Other tributes came in from foreign leaders, with French President Francois Hollande hailing Abdullah as “a statesman whose work profoundly marked the history of his country”.
British PM David Cameron said he was “deeply saddened” and that Abdullah would be remembered for “his commitment to peace and for strengthening understanding between faiths”.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi referred to the dead king as a guiding force and expressed his sympathies via Twitter.
Arab delegates, including Jordan’s King Abdullah, pulled out early from the World Economic Forum in Switzerland early following the death of Abdullah.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan postponed a planned trip to Somalia to attend the funeral.
Though Saudi Arabia has been vying for influence with Shia-dominated Iran, Tehran nonetheless offered its condolences, saying Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif would travel to Riyadh to take part in official ceremonies on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Egypt declared seven days of official mourning following the monarch’s death.
PAKISTAN CONDOLES DEMISE:
PM Sharif announced a day of mourning over the death of Saudi King Abdullah and the national flag was flown at half-mast.
In a condolence message, the premier expressed grief and sorrow over the king’s demise, saying that being the custodian of the Holy Mosques, Abdullah had a special place in the heart of every Pakistani.
President Mamnoon Hussain also extended condolences to the Saudi royal family and the people of Saudi Arabia while terming the king’s demise “a big loss for the ummah”.
He lauded the services of the late king for the betterment of the kingdom and the ummah, adding that the Pakistani nation stands with its Saudi brethren in this hour of grief.
In his condolence message, Punjab CM Shahbaz said the death of King Abdullah “has deprived Pakistan of a true friend”.
Moreover, Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesperson Tasnim Aslam, in a statement, said King Abdullah had deep attachment with Pakistan. “He was known as Abdullah Pakistani, which shows his love and affection for Pakistan.”
The spokesperson said Saudi Arabia always played an important role in progress and development of Pakistan, adding that a large Pakistani community is working in Saudi Arabia, which is also a source of strength of Pakistan’s economy.
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Co-Chairman and former president Asif Ali Zardari also condoled the death of King Abdullah and expressed hope that “brotherly ties between the two countries will strengthen in the years ahead”.
All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) Chairman and former president General (r) Pervez Musharraf also expressed profound grief over death of the Saudi king and termed his death “a big loss for the Muslim ummah”.