King Abdullah has passed away - PDF extends its condolences to the Saudi people

[Sugarcane]

Rest in Peace.

 

[jamahir]

will the new king withdraw from nato actions in syria and africa??

 

[Samlee]

Go tell Abdullah that god is the best of judges since under his rule hundreds of people have been beheaded, crucified, amputated, you name it.

You Idiots Have To Bring Your Sectarian Mentality Into This Time Of Mourning As Well Heck Indians Have Behaved Better Than You In This Thread

 

[rahi2357]

R.I.P

 

[coffee_cup]

Our condolences!

RIP!

 

[Samlee]

PRINCE Mohamed Bin Nayef Is THE Deputy Crown Prince and Prince Mohamed Bin Salman
Is New Defence Minister.The Sudairi Branch Is Back in Charge

Saudi King Salman resolves succession by appointing nephew| Reuters

 

[ResurgentIran]

Sincere Condolences to the People of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The people of Japan stand with you and mourn with you.

What did king Abdullah mean to the people of Japan?

 

[jamahir]

What did king Abdullah mean to the people of Japan?

how can there be monarchy in 2015... it is anti-democratic... whether in saudia or japan or nepal or britain or holland.

 

[RAMPAGE]

إنا لله وإنا إليه راجعون

My condolences to the Saudi family and citizens.

 

[A1Kaid]

Condolences to Saudi people.

 

[monitor]

Who is the new Saudi king, Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud?
Those hoping he will bring a new era of reform to Saudi Arabia after the death of King Abdullah are likely to be disappointed

Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. Rumours that he has dementia or Parkinson’s disease have been denied. Photograph: AFP/Getty Images
Matthew Weaver

Friday 23 January 2015 05.25 EST

Who is he?
Salman is Saudi Arabia’s new king following the death of his 90-year-old half-brother, King Abdullah. The 79-year-old has been crown prince since 2012 and defence minister since 2011. He has also been standing in for the ailing Abdullah for several months by chairing cabinet meetings, representing Saudi Arabia abroad and hosting foreign dignitaries.

How is his health?
Not good, but the nature of his condition is hard to verify with the secretive Saudi court. He is reported to have had at least one stroke and has lost some movement in his left arm. Rumours that he has dementia or Parkinson’s disease have been denied. He was well enough to meet US senator John McCain last week.

Is he a reformer?
No. He cautioned against the speed even of King Abdullah’s tentative reform programme, which has included such “modernising” policies as extending education and granting limited new rights for women. A leaked US embassy cable from 2007 reported him saying that change had to be introduced slowly and sensitively because of Saudi Arabia’s “social and cultural factors”, including the powers of the kingdom’s numerous tribes. Karen Elliot House, the author of On Saudi Arabia: Its People, Past, Religion, Fault Lines, quoted him as saying democracy was not possible in the kingdom: “If we did every tribe would be a party and then we would be like Iraq and would have chaos.”

Is the transition likely to be smooth?
As Salman has, in effect, already been ruling Saudi Arabia for months, it will be very much business as usual. Commentators predict the continued use of counter-terrorism laws to suppress criticism of the regime.

What are his achievements?
He has a reputation for settling feuds within the large Saudi royal family. A US embassy cable leaked by WikiLeaks referred to him as “often the referee in family disputes”. He is also respected for his 48-year record as governor of the capital, Riyadah, during which time the city’s population ballooned from 200,000 to 7 million. Commenting on his record as governor, Bruce Riedel, senior fellow and director of the Brookings Intelligence Project, said: “Salman presided over this remarkable transformation with a record for good governance and a lack of corruption.” As governor, he also quietly dealt with the discipline of younger royals when they erred. “He knows where all the bodies are hidden,” Riedel said.

Who is the new crown prince?
It is Prince Muqrin, a 69-year-old, RAF-trained fighter pilot and former intelligence chief. Like Salman and Abdullah, Murqin is a son of Saudi Arabia’s founder, Abdelaziz Ibn Saud. But he is believed to be the last son capable of becoming king. In future, the key challenge for the ruling family will be picking a successor from the next generation among the numerous grandsons of the first Saudi monarch Ibn Saud. Salman himself is believed to have more than 50 sons by several wives. They include Prince Abdulaziz, 54, the deputy oil minister; Prince Faisal, 44, the governor of Medina; and Prince Sultan, 58, the first Arab astronaut and current head of the tourism authority. Another son with influence is believed to be Prince Mohammed, the eldest son from Salman’s third wife. In his 30s, Mohammed is the head of his father’s royal court.

 

[Devil Soul]

Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi raji'un انا لله وانا اليه راجعون
End of an Era..

 

[al-Hasani]

PRINCE Mohamed Bin NAYEF IS THE NEXT CROWN PRINCE and Prince Mohamed Bin Salman
Is New Defence Minister.The Sudairi Branch Is Back in Charge

Saudi King Salman resolves succession by appointing nephew| Reuters

As I told yesterday. I have good inside sources.

@Mosamania is Salman also considered 'progressive' in the same way Abdallah was? Do you see any tangible policy changes (vis a vis foreign policy) or not much really will change course

He is undoubtedly going to continue with the reforms as is Muqrin. There is simply no other choice. I so no reason for people to think that another "Fahd era" is approaching. As usual pessimism rules supreme among us Arabs lately. Same in the ongoing AFC. We were dead and buried and now we have both Iraq and UAE in the semifinals.

Hi,

Thanks for your reply YA akhi !
couuld you please shed some light on National Guard, I remeber when i was in jeddah I could see some big barracks in Haye Naseem.

I am not sure how much of what i heard is true but I told these are king perosnal guard to protect his throne.
More or less like operation Valkyrie if I am not mistaken.

Your insight into this subject will help me remove my confusion

The National Guard or SANG as it is also called responds directly to the monarch and is part of a separate chain of command unlike the armed forces which is under the administrative control of the Ministry of Defence. Commanders of major units report directly to the King.
The SANG is more like a modern successor of the infamous Ikhwan forces. A branch of the armed forces serving mainly as a security force against internal threats. Members are and especially were mostly drafted from loyal clans and tribes. The tribal law has been removed for the past 10 years or so though so now everyone fit can join. SANG is also focusing on the borders.

See their homepage if you can read Arabic for more information;

وزارة الحرس الوطني

http://english.alarabiya.net/en/New...ted-defense-minister-head-of-Royal-Court.html

Prince Muhammad bin Salman, new Minister of Defense. He is the son of King Salman (strange times when it is not King Abdullah anymore).

Many head of states and royals are expected to arrive to Riyadh;

Prince Charles to fly to Riyadh following death of King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia - Telegraph

 

[TimeTraveller]

RIP....

 

[monitor]