Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, a key U.S. ally in the Middle East, died Thursday at 90, leaving as his successor a brother who also is reported to be in frail health and the potential for instability at a crucial time.
The official Saudi Press Agency announced the king’s death and said Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz had succeeded him. Deputy Crown Prince Muqrin bin Abdulaziz was named crown prince.
The two men are the last two sons of the oil-rich Arab kingdom’s founder, Abdulaziz Al Saud, in the line of succession, opening the door to potential conflicts between branches of the royal family for control.
Abdullah, king since 2005, was considered a relative moderate in an absolute monarchy that ruled according to the strict dictates of Islam’s Wahhabi sect. He agreed to send Saudi air forces into combat against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria and host training for Syrian rebels fighting the extremist group.
“As a leader, he was always candid and had the courage of his convictions,” President 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.”
Abdullah, who suffered from a long illness, was noticeably frail and breathing with the assistance of oxygen when Obama visited Saudi Arabia in March.
He outlived two of his brothers who succeeded him as crown prince before Salman rose to the job in 2012 from the defense minister’s post.
Now 79, Salman is reported to have Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, which means the real power may lie with Muqrin, who served as director of Saudi intelligence for much of Abdullah’s reign.
