Saudi Arabia's 'reformer' King Abdullah dies

On Youtube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOL2Vqu4MHk

Throngs of mourners gathered in Mecca early Friday just hours after Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al Saud died. He was 90.

Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz was appointed as the new king, state television reported.​

The announcement of Abdullah's death comes several weeks after the state-run Saudi Press Agency said he was suffering from pneumonia and had been admitted to the hospital.

Services will be held Friday afternoon at the Imam Turki Bin Abdullah Grand Mosque in Riyadh, and many world leaders are likely to pay their respects.

Jordan's King Abdullah cut short his visit to Davos, and is heading to Riyadh, according to a Jordanian government source.

"King Abdullah's life spanned from before the birth of modern Saudi Arabia through its emergence as a critical force within the global economy and a leader among Arab and Islamic nations," U.S. President Barack Obama said in a statement.

"As our countries worked together to confront many challenges, I always valued King Abdullah's perspective and appreciated our genuine and warm friendship. As a leader, he was always candid and had the courage of his convictions."

Saudi King Abdullah dies 2015 has died on youtube

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 Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud has died, state television reported early on Friday, and his brother Salman became king, it said in a statement attributed to Salman.

King Salman, thought to be 79, has called on the family's Allegiance Council to pay allegiance to Muqrin as his crown prince and heir.
By immediately appointing Muqrin as his heir, Salman has moved to avert widespread speculation about the path of the royal succession in the world's top oil exporter.
President Barack Obama expressed condolences and saluted the late king's commitment to close U.S.-Saudi ties.
"As a leader, he was always candid and had the courage of his convictions," Obama said in a statement. "One of those convictions was his steadfast and passionate belief in the importance of the U.S.-Saudi relationship as a force for stability and security in the Middle East and beyond."
"The closeness and strength of the partnership between our two countries is part of King Abdullah's legacy," the statement added.

Saudi state TV reports: King Abdullah has died at 90

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RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) - Saudi state TV says King Abdullah, the powerful U.S. ally who joined Washington's fight against al-Qaida and sought to modernize the ultraconservative Muslim kingdom has died. He was 90.

The TV station said Abdullah died Friday.

His expected successor is his 79-year-old half-brother, Prince Salman, who recently has taken on the ailing Abdullah's responsibilities.

The announcement came in statement read by a presenter on Saudi state TV, which aired video of worshippers at the Kaaba in Mecca.


The chain-smoking king was seen wearing a breathing tube during his meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama on March 28 as well as April 4, when he returned to Riyadh from his spring retreat in Rawdat Khuraim.
Abdullah’s near-imminent death seems to be the driver behind the king’s unprecedented move to appoint his trusted half-brother Muqrin, 69, as a second crown prince – the first-ever appointment in the country’s history. Muqrin’s appointment was followed by the dismissal of Bandar Bin Sultan as intelligence chief two days ago, in addition to another round of appointments to be announced as early as tomorrow, Friday.
Observers expect the news of Abdullah’s condition to lead to intense vying for power among the members of the vast ruling family. Rachel Hertzman, policy analyst at the Institute for Gulf Affairs said, “The recent scramble to designate a line of succession is not surprising given that King Abdullah has only a few months left, due to advancing age in addition to his terminal illness.”