Saudi King Fahd dies; smooth handover to Abdullah

By Laith Abou-Ragheb

RIYADH (Reuters) – Saudi Arabia’s King Fahd died on Monday
and Crown Prince Abdullah was swiftly pronounced monarch in a
smooth succession set to maintain the policies of the world’s
largest oil exporter and key U.S. ally.

King Abdullah, who is at least 80, has run day-to-day
affairs since a stroke debilitated Fahd in 1995. The kingdom’s
next ambassador to Washington, who is a senior royal, said the
new king would not alter oil and foreign policies.

“I cannot imagine there will be any particular change in
that (foreign) policy undertaken by the late King Fahd,” said
Prince Turki al-Faisal, outgoing ambassador to Britain.

Asked whether the same applied to the kingdom’s oil policy,
Prince Turki said: “Absolutely.”

Fahd, aged about 83, had been in hospital since May 27,
when he was admitted with acute pneumonia.

U.S. crude oil jumped after his death but Saudi officials
said the kingdom would stand by its long-standing policy aimed
at pumping enough oil to satisfy markets and stabilize prices.

Saudi Arabia’s commitment to continuity was further
strengthened by King Abdullah’s decree to retain all cabinet
ministers. “All members of the Council of Ministers will remain
in their posts,” said the decree read out on state television.

Energy and financial analysts predicted that Fahd’s death
will have no major impact on the Saudi economy, now booming on
strong oil prices. The stock market, the largest Arab bourse,
briefly suspended trading but rebounded after early declines.

In Washington, the White House said President Bush had
offered his condolences to King Abdullah.

A State Department official said Fahd’s death would have
little effect on bilateral ties, which had been strained by the
Sept. 11, 2001, attacks mostly carried out by Saudis.

The official said Washington had very good relations with
Abdullah. “Given the late king’s extensive illness, Abdullah
had been running policy and we are used to working with him.”

NO MOURNING PERIOD

Saudi Information Minister Iyad bin Amin Madani announced
Fahd’s death on state television, saying the royal family had
acknowledged Abdullah as the new sovereign and accepted his
choice of Prince Sultan as crown prince.

Prince Sultan, like King Abdullah, was born in 1924.

A Saudi official said Fahd’s funeral would take place on
Tuesday, but there will be no mourning period, in line with
strict Wahhabi Muslim tradition that unquestionably accepts
God’s will. Saudi flags, emblazoned with “There is no God but
Allah,” will not be lowered as Wahhabis deem this blasphemous.

Saudis are to pledge allegiance to the new king and his
crown prince on Wednesday. Abdullah is expected to pick a
deputy crown prince, with Interior Minister Prince Nayef, 72,
or Riyadh provincial governor Prince Salman, 69, among
front-runners.

Condolences flooded in from around the world. French
President Jacques Chirac said Fahd had “guaranteed the
integrity of his country and defended regional stability.”
British Prime Minister Tony Blair hailed his “great vision and
leadership.”

Several countries announced periods of mourning and flew
flags at half-mast. An Arab League official said an Arab summit
in Egypt, set for Wednesday, would be deferred for up to a
week.

In Saudi Arabia, recitations of the Koran echoed from
mosques, radios and television sets but shops and businesses
remained open as Saudis accepted Fahd’s long-expected death.

“This is a very sad day. But I think the people were ready
for this to happen as he was very ill for a long time,” said
Mohammad al-Aqeel, a 31-year-old Saudi engineer.

Abdullah, the fifth son of Saudi Arabia’s founder King
Abdul-Aziz to ascend the throne, is a cautious reformer who has
overseen modest economic and political liberalization.

In the past two years, the kingdom has faced a violent al
Qaeda campaign to end seven decades of the royal family’s rule
in the home of Islam’s holiest shrines.

Fahd ascended the throne in June 1982, at the height of
Saudi Arabia’s petrodollar boom and reigned for 23 years.

His strong alliance with Washington and his decision to
allow U.S. forces to deploy in Islam’s birthplace in 1990
enraged Saudi-born al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. The troops
remained until the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Bin Laden has vowed to depose the Saudi royals, whom he has
blasted as U.S. “agents and stooges.” (Reporting by Samia
Nakhoul, Dominic Evans and Ghaida Ghantous)