King Abdullah Dies Succeeded by Prince Salman as New King of Saudi Arabia

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia mourns the death of King Abdullah who died and was succeeded by his brother Prince Salman as confirmed by Saudi’s state television on their report on Friday, January 22, 2015. The former Prince now King Salman of Saudi Arabia has called on the family’s Allegiance Council to pay allegiance to Muqrin as his crown prince and heir.

King Abdullah

The statement released by Saudi Arabia’s state media reads “His Highness Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and all members of the family and the nation mourn the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, who passed away at exactly 1 a.m. this morning,” said the statement.

The former King of Saudi Arabia, King Abdullah ruled the Kingdom as its King since the year 2006, although he was the crown prince during the tenure of King Fahad, King Abdullad had run the country as de facto regent for a decade his his brother King Fahad suffered a debilitating stroke.

Meanwhile, the 79-year-old Prince Salman now King Salman of Saudi Arabia has been crown prince and defense minister since the year 2012. Before serving as a crown prince of Saudi Arabi, he was governor of Riyadh Province for five decades.

King Salman’s appointment of Prince Muqrin as the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, subject to the approval of a family Allegiance Council, King Salman has moved to avert widespread speculations about the immediate path of the royal succession in the Kingdom, considered as the world’s leading top oil exporter and one of the Filipino workers main destinations worldwide.

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