São Paulo – Saudi Arabia’s king Abdullah Bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud, has died aged 90 early this Friday (23th). The death happened at 1AM, according to information released by the Saudi royal family.
According to the local press, the king was hospitalized since December because of pneumonia and was breathing with the aid of a ventilator. Salman Bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud, who was crown prince, was titled as the new king of Saudi Arabia, with prince Muqrin Bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud as his successor. Both of them are Abdullah’s half-brothers.
Several world leaders mourned the death of the Saudi monarch. “King Abdullah’s life spanned from before the birth of modern Saudi Arabia through its emergence as a critical force within the global economy and a leader among Arab and Islamic nations”, stated the president of the United States, Barack Obama.
“He took bold steps in advancing the Arab Peace Initiative, an endeavor that will outlive him as an enduring contribution to the search for peace in the region. At home, king Abdullah’s vision was dedicated to the education of his people and to greater engagement with the world”, emphasized Obama, making reference to the peace proposal between Israel and Palestine made by the Saudi government and ratified by the Arab League in 2002.
In a statement, the press secretary of the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon extended his condolences to the family, the government and the people of Saudi Arabia. “King Abdullah made major contributions to the development of the Kingdom. Under his leadership over many decades in different high-level positions in Government, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia achieved remarkable progress and prosperity for its people”, he said.
“We mourn the death of the king of Saudi Arabia. He was a moderate leader. He was responsible for several events to establish talks among peoples”, said Michel Alaby, secretary-general of Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, who was speaking on behalf of the organization. “He was a great fosterer of events abroad to promote the Kingdom’s culture, including events with the participation of Brazilian academics of Arab descent. We offer our condolences to the people of Saudi Arabia and the royal family”, he added.
Among the leaders who also released statements over the death of the Saudi king are the presidents of Palestine, Egypt and France, the prime ministers of Great Britain and Canada, the sultan of Oman, the kings of Jordan and Bahrain and the secretary-general of the League of Arab States.
Biography
Born in 1924, in the city of Riyadh, Abdullah Bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud ascended to the throne in August 1st, 2005, becoming the sixth king of Saudi Arabia. However, he already was the “de facto” ruler of the country since 1995 when his half-brother, then king Fahd, suffered a stroke.
Before, Abdullah held important positions in his country, as commander of the National Guard and deputy prime minister. When he assumed the throne, he developed a series of projects aimed at the economic, social, education, health and infrastructure areas, which resulted in important changes in the Gulf country.
Among his accomplishments are the launch of four mega economic cities, the creation of the King Abdullah University for Science and Technology, and the Women’s University Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman. The monarch also approved a historic reorganization of the Saudi legal system and enacted laws that formalized the royal succession.
*Translated by Sérgio Kakitani
