DOHA – Arab leaders have mourned Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, who died early Friday at the age of 91.
Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Issa Al Khalifa declared a 40-day official mourning, during which government institutions will be closed for three days and the flag flown at half-mast.
“The Kingdom of Bahrain, the Arab and Islamic nations have lost, with the death of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, a wise leader who dedicated his life to serving his people, nation, religion and humanity,” the Bahraini Royal Court said.
Emirati President Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan has also ordered an official mourning for three days starting Friday, during which the flag will be flown at half-mast inside the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as well as all of its diplomatic missions abroad.
“We mourn one of the most prominent leaders of the Arab and Muslim nations who dedicated himself to serving Islam and the Arab cause,” Al Nahyan said in a statement broadcast by the official Emirati news agency.
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi also mourned the Saudi monarch.
“The Egyptian people will never forget King Abdullah’s historic stances towards them, which reflected his wisdom and faith in the importance of Arab cooperation,” the Egyptian presidency said.
A source from the presidency told The Anadolu Agency that al-Sisi will cut down a current visit to Switzerland, in which he had taken part in Davos international economic forum, to attend King Abdullah’s funeral later on Friday in Riyadh.
Moreover, the Cairo-based Al Azhar – Sunni Islam’s highest seat of learning – also mourned the deceased king and praised his efforts in developing the Two Holy Mosques, at which millions of Muslims perform pilgrimage every year.
The institution also hailed King Abdullah’s “huge financial contributions allocated to the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip and aiding the people of Syria and Iraq.”
In a statement carried by the Saudi TV in the early hours of Friday, the Saudi Royal Court announced the death of King Abdullah.
It also declared Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz as new king of the oil-rich Gulf monarchy and Prince Muqrin bin Abdulaziz as new Crown Prince.
Abdullah was recently admitted to hospital and placed on a ventilator after he was diagnosed with pneumonitis.
Abdullah underwent back surgery in November 2012. Ever since, he has refrained from attending events outside the kingdom, including a recent high-profile Gulf summit held in Qatari capital Doha.
Salman, 79, is a half-brother of the deceased king. He was appointed crown prince in June of 2012 after the death of the late crown prince, Naif.
Muqrin is also a half-brother of Abdullah and the youngest son of the founder of Saudi Arabia. He was serving as second deputy prime minister and the king’s special envoy.
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