King Abdullah I of Saudi Arabia dies, aged 90

[-:Undertaker:-]

http://edition.cnn.com/2015/01/22/mi...ies/index.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukne...s-funeral.html

King Abdullah I of Saudi Arabia dies, aged 90

- New Saudi King is King Salman
- Tributes paid to 'reformer' King who died of lung infection
- Prince Charles set to attend King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia's funeral
- Clarence House officials understood to be urgently working on transport arrangements to get Prince of Wales to Riyadh in time for ceremony

Queen Elizabeth II, King Abdullah I and Prince Charles in 2007

The Prince of Wales is expected to attend the funeral of King Abdullah in Saudi Arabia later on Friday.

Clarence House officials are understood to be urgently working on transport arrangements to get the Prince to Riyadh in time for the ceremony.

The Prince has been a regular visitor to Saudi Arabia over the years and counted the king as a personal friend.

If he attends the funeral, he will be doing so as the representative of the Queen, who no longer makes long distance trips overseas.

Sources said it was "likely" the Prince would attend the service if a scheduled or Royal flight aircraft can get him there in time.

King Abdullah died aged 90 in the capital Riyad, after a battle with pneumonia. His successor is to be his 79-year-old half-brother, Prince Salman.

Attention is now focusing on the world leaders likely to attend the funeral, a sensitive diplomatic question.

The Prince of Wales is close to several members of the Saudi royal family, and most recently visited the country last February, his 10th official visit since he first toured in 1986.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister has expressed his sadness at the death of King Abdullah and paid tribute to his work for peace in the region.

David Cameron, who visited Saudi Arabia in 2012, said: "I am deeply saddened to hear of the death of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, His Majesty King Abdullah bin Abd Al Aziz Al Saud.

"He will be remembered for his long years of service to the Kingdom, for his commitment to peace and for strengthening understanding between faiths.

"My thoughts and prayers are with the Saudi Royal Family and the people of the Kingdom at this sad time.

"I sincerely hope that the long and deep ties between our two Kingdoms will continue and that we can continue to work together to strengthen peace and prosperity in the world."

Crown Prince Salman of Saudi Arabia, now King Salman

Mr Cameron's meeting with the King three years ago was a visit intended "to broaden and deepen the UK-Saudi partnership on issues from social development to security to business relations".

He spoke to the King in a telephone call last year on issues including the threat from Isil. He thanked the King for a "significant" donation to the humanitarian appeal in Iraq.

King Abdullah was also considered a strong US ally and, following his death, President Barack Obama praised him for taking "bold steps" to help with the Arab Peace Initiative.

Mr Obama said he "valued King Abdullah's perspective and appreciated our genuine and warm friendship".

The King was born in the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh in 1924, and became crown prince in 1982, before ascending to the throne in 2005.

That now leaves HM The Queen as the oldest Head of State in the world, she's 89 this April.

Apparently King Salman is a reformer too in the House of Saud is the good news.

Thoughts?

[Shar]

Hmm does it say in what ways he was a "reformer"?

King Salman

• Born on 31 December 1935
• Son of Princess Hassa al-Sudairi
• Governor of Riyadh from 1955-1960 and 1963-2011
• Appointed defence minister upon death of his brother Crown Prince Sultan
• Owns important stake in one of the Arab world's largest media groups

[-:Undertaker:-]

Hmm does it say in what ways he was a "reformer"?

King Salman

• Born on 31 December 1935
• Son of Princess Hassa al-Sudairi
• Governor of Riyadh from 1955-1960 and 1963-2011
• Appointed defence minister upon death of his brother Crown Prince Sultan
• Owns important stake in one of the Arab world's largest media groups

In Saudi Arabia the power is shared between the House of Saud and the religious sect known as the Wahhabis who are literally insane (an example was a few years ago a school was on fire and they ordered the girls back inside the burning building and locked the doors because they weren't fully covered after running out) and basically there's an agreement of each side not to tread too much on the other. The House of Saud has reformers in like King Abdullah and others who are trying, bit by bit, to move power away from the Wahhabis but it's not something that can be done overnight because both rely on one another to rule.

King Salman, like Abdullah in the family, is less close to the Wahhabis than other members of the Royal Family hence he's viewed as part of the 'reformer' side.

[The Don]

Hmm does it say in what ways he was a "reformer"?

King Salman

• Born on 31 December 1935
• Son of Princess Hassa al-Sudairi
• Governor of Riyadh from 1955-1960 and 1963-2011
• Appointed defence minister upon death of his brother Crown Prince Sultan
• Owns important stake in one of the Arab world's largest media groups

I've read that he's also on his death bed suffering a spinal injury with severe alzheimer's and dementia. Not sure how he'll be able to reform anything.

Hopefully we'll see a power vacuum form and the toxic leadership eventually get overthrown. If we want to get rid of terrorism it's better to cut the head off the snake so to speak, and also long as the house of saud is around to fund and export wahhabism there will be radicals teaching it over the globe.

[Shar]

In Saudi Arabia the power is shared between the House of Saud and the religious sect known as the Wahhabis who are literally insane (an example was a few years ago a school was on fire and they ordered the girls back inside the burning building and locked the doors because they weren't fully covered after running out) and basically there's an agreement of each side not to tread too much on the other. The House of Saud has reformers in like King Abdullah and others who are trying, bit by bit, to move power away from the Wahhabis but it's not something that can be done overnight because both rely on one another to rule.

King Salman, like Abdullah in the family, is less close to the Wahhabis than other members of the Royal Family hence he's viewed as part of the 'reformer' side.

That's crazy! Wahabi's are far more radical in their beliefs than any other sects, double standards as usual.

I've read that he's also on his death bed suffering a spinal injury with severe alzheimer's and dementia. Not sure how he'll be able to reform anything.

Hopefully we'll see a power vacuum form and the toxic leadership eventually get overthrown. If we want to get rid of terrorism it's better to cut the head off the snake so to speak, and also long as the house of saud is around to fund and export wahhabism there will be radicals teaching it over the globe.

I was thinking he's like really old himself. Wow. So who will be the successor after King Salman?

[-:Undertaker:-]

I've read that he's also on his death bed suffering a spinal injury with severe alzheimer's and dementia. Not sure how he'll be able to reform anything.

Hopefully we'll see a power vacuum form and the toxic leadership eventually get overthrown. If we want to get rid of terrorism it's better to cut the head off the snake so to speak, and also long as the house of saud is around to fund and export wahhabism there will be radicals teaching it over the globe.

But the House of Saud is the good side of a bad coin, for all its fault at least you can talk with it and reason with it.

The wahhabi lot on the other hand... better the devil you know sort of thing.

[-:Undertaker:-]

Here's some good pictures of the funeral and burial -

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...ter_mailonline

Saudi Arabia buries its king: Thousands gather in Mecca as King Abdullah is laid to rest in Riyadh after losing battle with pneumonia

- Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, 90, died last night in hospital after losing his battle with pneumonia
- Tens of thousands of people gathered in Mecca and Riyadh today to mourn just hours after King's death
- The late King's body was wrapped in a plain cloth as it was carried into his funeral in a grand mosque in the capital
- Family and dignitaries crowded round as he was buried in an unmarked grave, in keeping with tradition
- The new King Salman, 79, has inherited the throne and led the prayers to the late Abdullah - his half-brother
- Buckingham Palace lowers Union Jack to half-mast, with Prince Charles set to visit Saudi Arabia to pay respects

[The Don]

But the House of Saud is the good side of a bad coin, for all its fault at least you can talk with it and reason with it.

The wahhabi lot on the other hand... better the devil you know sort of thing.

Is there a big difference between the 'good' side (the salafists) and the 'bad' side (the wahhabis)? I don't know too much about it but from a brief google search they are apparently considered pretty similar?

[-:Undertaker:-]

Is there a big difference between the 'good' side (the salafists) and the 'bad' side (the wahhabis)? I don't know too much about it but from a brief google search they are apparently considered pretty similar?

The House of Saud isn't as radical as the wahhabis, and can be at least talked to but there's not really a difference between the religious element of the factions: the al-Saud are locked into an alliance with the wahhabis and have been for centuries. My point is simply that if you wish for the overthrow of the House of Saud, what exactly fills its place? The country after all is named after the family itself, and by overthrowing the al-Saud's you could simply end up with the wahhabis controlling the entire penninsula without any restraints on them anymore.

My hope would just be for the country under the monarchy to continue to develop economically, the HoS keeps pushing for reforms (weakening the wahhabis) and with the rise of an educated middle-class the wahhabis are eventually sidelined to something that's only symbolic. Emphasis on the hope though.

[AgnesIO]

Flags at half mast in the UK, but flown at full mast in Saudi.

Laughable.