By Baron Henri Estramant
King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia (1924-2015) passed away at exactly 1am (local time) in Riyadh on 23 January 2015.
The “reformer” king as he was known to Saudis and foreigners alike, had been admitted to the hospital for pneumonia back on 31 December 2014. His half-brother, Salman, has now become King of Saudi Arabia and Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. “Crown Prince” is now Prince Muqrin according to a statement issued by the Royal Court.
Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud was monarch since 2006, but had ruled the country for a decade before since the stroke of his late brother King Fahd that left the latter unable to govern the kingdom.
