Reports that 88-year old King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia is 'clinically dead'

[-:Undertaker:-]

http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2013/05...inically-dead/

Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz is reported to be clinically dead as the monarch is not recently seen in the public.

A Saudi journalist working for London-Based Asharq Alawsat says the Saudi monarch has been clinically dead since Wednesday.

He also quoted medical sources in Saudi Arabia as saying that the king’s vital organs, including his heart, kidneys and lungs, have stopped functioning.

Doctors are said to have used a defibrillator on him several times. He is also reported to be alive with the help of a ventilator.

The Royal Court has yet to comment on the report of King's death. The aging Saudi monarch has not recently appeared in the public and the country's crown prince is attending official meetings on behalf of him.

It is the second time in the past months that Asharq Alawsat reports the death of King Abdullah.

In November 2012, the daily reported that Saudi king has slipped into coma and was clinically dead nearly a week after he underwent a 14-hour-long back surgery in a hospital in the Saudi capital, Riyadh.

The report was later rejected by the Royal Court.

The 89-year-old king’s health has declined over the past few years, during which he has been hospitalized several times.

Failing health, old age as well as the death of the king’s half-brothers have raised concerns about the future of the oil-rich country in the face of anti-government demonstrations.

Well, it's only just being reported (and by Iranian PressTV which makes me doubt even more considering the regional tensions between the two Middle Easten major powers) but if true, RIP Abdullah of Saudi Arabia. He's probably, after Her Majesty, my favourite Monarch for the fact that he's a leading reformer in the House of Saud and has done pretty well since he took the throne in 2005 - the King Abdullah Economic City development and the Mecca Megatower development. Also in terms of reforms, he's pushed and pushed for reforms in things like womens rights and has secured small but big victories when it comes to the Kingdom's politics.

I hope, if reports are true, that another reformer in the House of Saud of Abdullah's type takes the reigns and continues the political and willpower battle against the Islamic radical sect the Waabhai's who hold joint power with the Monarchy. A lot of people when it comes to Saudi Arabia wrongly accuse the House of Saud of certain injustices (executions of gays, women being denied individual rights) when it's broadly the opposite story. It'll be interesting also whether or not they manage to reform the succession system which goes from brother to brother rather than father to son which means the potential heirs are becoming increasingly frail and old when coming to the throne.

Just a sidenote, stories such as this and the death of Margaret Thatcher (who was 87) make you realise just how well the Queen and Prince Phillip are for their ages. Rather amazing the amount of work they do and the health they are in.

Thoughts?