“With great sorrow and grief His Highness Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud and all members of the family and the nation mourn the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz, who passed away at exactly 1 a.m. this morning,” the Saudi Royal court statement said.
Funeral prayers will be held later in the day following afternoon prayers at Imam Turki Bin Abdullah Grand Mosque in the capital, Riyadh, according to the statement.
Another statement said that Crown Prince Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud received the pledge of allegiance as the country's King from members of the royal family.
The statement also announced that Prince Muqrin bin Abdul-Aziz received the pledge of allegiance as the Kingdom’s new crown Prince.
Both King Salman and Crown Prince Muqrin will receive pledges of allegiance from citizens on Friday evening, the statement said.
President Barack Obama and other world leaders expressed their condolences over the loss of King Abdullah.
Obama also praised King Abdullah, saying the Saudi leader had taken bold steps in advancing the Arab Peace Initiative.
“At home, King Abdullah's vision was dedicated to the education of his people and to greater engagement with the world,” Obama said.
In France a statement by the Elysée Palace paid tribute to King Abdullah, hailing “the memory of a statesman whose work has profoundly marked the history of his country.”
Source: SPA, Al Arabiya
