Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz temporarily needed help to breathe through a tube on Friday due to a lung infection, but the procedure was successful and his condition was now stable, the royal court said.
The elderly monarch was admitted to the King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh on Wednesday for medical tests, state media said, after he suffered what one source described as breathing difficulties.
“After the necessary medical tests by the medical team, it became apparent that there was a lung infection that required the insertion of a tube to aid with breathing on a temporary basis this evening,” the royal court said in a statement carried by state news agency SPA.
The procedure had resulted in “stability and success,” it added.
Markets keep a close eye on the lealth of the king of the world’s top oil producer, a country that also has a huge influence over Muslims through its guardianship of Islam’s holiest sites.
A Saudi source familiar with the affairs of the royal family said the king will most likely stay in hospital for another week.
