“Our Arab and Islamic nation is in dire need today for its unity and solidarity,” King Salman was quoted by the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) as saying.
He also vowed to continue on the same path set by King Abdul-Aziz bin Saud, the founder of the Saudi state.
“We will remain, with God’s strength, attached to the straight path that this state has walked since its establishment by King Abdul-Aziz bin Saud, and by his sons after him,” he said in televised remarks.
Meanwhile, new Saudi King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz and Crown Prince Muqrin bin Abdul-Aziz received pledges of allegiance from citizens on Friday evening, after the late King Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz passed away in the early hours of the morning.
Saudi citizens flocked to Governance Palace in Riyadh to pledge their allegiance for King Salman and Crown Prince Muqrin.
“We will continue in this country - that Allah has honored with choosing it as the platform for His message and the Qibla of Muslims - our march in exerting all that boosts unity and the defense of our nation’s causes, guided by the teachings of the true Islamic religion which Allah has chosen for us as it is the religion of peace, mercy and moderation,” King Salman said.
“I ask Allah to guide me to serve our dear people and realize their hopes, and to preserve our country’s and our nation’s security and stability.”
Shortly after King Abdullah’s passing, King Salman received the pledge of allegiance as the country’s sovereign from members of the royal family and a group of the Kingdom's citizens, according to a statement from the royal court.
The statement announced that Crown Prince Muqrin also received the pledge of allegiance.
Born in 1935 in the capital Riyadh, King Salman is the 25th son of the founder of Saudi Arabia, King Abdul-Aziz bin Saud.
In 1954, at the age of 19, King Salman was appointed as the Emir of Riyadh, and governed the province for over 50 years. In 2011, King Salman was appointed the Saudi Arabia’s Defense Minister, overseeing the entire Armed Forces. In 2012, he was appointed Crown Prince.
