King Fahd of Saudi Arabia has passed away

[Pajoz]

Saudi king Fahd dies
RIYADH, Aug 1 (AFP) - Saudi Arabia's King Fahd died on Monday after years of ill health and a turbulent reign that saw the oil-rich kingdom face up to Islamic extremism.

His half-brother, Crown Prince Abdullah, who has been de facto ruler for a decade, was anointed his successor.
Medical sources told AFP that King Fahd, aged in his 80s, died in hospital at dawn.
The king had been admitted to King Faisal Specialist Hospital in Riyadh in late May for "medical tests" and was said to be suffering from respiratory problems caused by pneumonia.

Believed to have been born in 1923, Fahd took charge in 1982 of a vast kingdom which is the world's largest petroleum exporter and holds a quarter of global oil reserves.

He guided Saudi Arabia through the most turbulent era in its history, which saw the kingdom survive two Gulf Wars only to have to confront the menace of Islamic extremism.

Two years of strife perpetrated by Islamic extremists has claimed the lives of 90 civilians, 42 security personnel and 113 militants, according to official figures.

Saudi's alliance with the United States, the cornerstone of Fahd's foreign policy was sorely tested by the September 11, 2001 terror attacks on the United States, in which 15 out of the 19 attackers were Saudi.

Designated as next in line after King Faisal's assassination in 1975, Fahd was in practical terms running the country under the rule of his ailing brother King Khaled from 1975 to 1982.

After the stroke in 1995 confined him to a wheelchair, the king delegated the day-to-day business of government to his half-brother, Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz.

Soon after Fahd's death was announced, Crown Prince Abdullah, who himself is in his 80s, was named the next king.
It was Fahd himself who upheld the Saudi tradition of the crown prince succeeding the monarch by asking Abdullah to run the country after suffering a stroke in 1995.

Saudi Arabia's crown prince has traditionally replaced the king on the monarch's death or abdication, but a law introduced by King Fahd opened the door for the succession to skip a generation.

The basic law adopted in 1992 allows the royal family to select a grandson of Abdul Aziz over the 20-odd surviving brothers and half-brothers of King Fahd, passing over Prince Abdullah, who heads the powerful National Guard.

However, sources close to the royal family previously said the princes have all agreed that the sons of Abdul Aziz should continue to succeed in order of age, before the grandsons are given the chance.

Defense Minister Prince Sultan is next in line to the throne after Abdullah, and was named crown prince, although rivalry has sometimes been reported between the two men.

The Saud dynasty dates back to the 18th century, when "Lord of the Desert" Mohammad bin Saud joined forces with an austere Islamic reformer, Mohammad bin Abdul Wahhab, and set about propagating by the sword a return to pure Islam.


OUR CONDOLENCES......

[Bogeyman]

Naaalala ko pa, yung father ko tsaka mga uncles ko worked on two major projects named after the two rulers (King Fahd International Airport and King Khaled International Airport).

[ranod55]

parang kailan lang nang unang dumating ako dyan sa saudi at kau-upo lang nya-back in 1982,23 years na palang wala nako dyan sa saudi at ang diko malilimutan nang i-open ceremony nya ang "KING FAHD INDUSTRIAL PORT" sa JUBAIL,na noon doon ako nagta-trabaho,buhay nga naman kahit anong yaman mo-pag-oras muna eh walang magagawa ang pera mo! ALLAH KAREEM...

[Pajoz]

parang kailan lang nang unang dumating ako dyan sa saudi at kau-upo lang nya-back in 1982,23 years na palang wala nako dyan sa saudi at ang diko malilimutan nang i-open ceremony nya ang "KING FAHD INDUSTRIAL PORT" sa JUBAIL,na noon doon ako nagta-trabaho,buhay nga naman kahit anong yaman mo-pag-oras muna eh walang magagawa ang pera mo! ALLAH KAREEM...

sir ranod... ibig sabihin pala TNA ka narin.

TAGAL NA SA ABROAD

Siguro hanggang May ka pa sa Middle East.... Hanggang MAY-langis.

Ako nga 12 yrs na rin dito sa UAE.

[Hayward]

Just hoping that the new king (Abdullah) will not espouse exremism.

[doublea]

Alam ko pag namatay ang hari ng Saudi may bonus ang lahat ng tao na galing sa susunod na hari. Just hoping na liberated ang susunod na king para maging open na like Dubai. iyung bang hindi ka na required lumabas ng restaurant kapag oras na ng dasal, iyung mga babae pwede mo ng kausapin or tignan man lamang at hindi sila required magsuot ng itim na damit at tangalin na rin ang pugutan ng ulo...sana

[maginoong_kalog]

Alam ko pag namatay ang hari ng Saudi may bonus ang lahat ng tao na galing sa susunod na hari. Just hoping na liberated ang susunod na king para maging open na like Dubai. iyung bang hindi ka na required lumabas ng restaurant kapag oras na ng dasal, iyung mga babae pwede mo ng kausapin or tignan man lamang at hindi sila required magsuot ng itim na damit at tangalin na rin ang pugutan ng ulo...sana

correction sir but the new king the one imposed the Saudization.
for him kahit walang Expatriate dito sa saudi kaya nilang magtaguyod.
Kaya lessen lalo na maging open ang saudi gaya ng inaakala ng lahat.
mas humigpit ang pagbibigay ng visa.

[artpogi]

If the rumors are true about Abdullah's dislike of the Americans, those US companies (civilian contractors) who has contracts with the Saudi Armed Forces should not be surprised if they see the axe falling on their projects in the middle of their contracts.

It will be a wait and see thing till the end of the year then

[Tacoma_34]

but the US is their biggest oil consumer

[artpogi]

Tacoma 34,

I'm only referring to the civilian contractors (particularly American owned) who has a contract with the Saudi Armed Forces.

I'm not referring to all US company contractors who has contract with various government branches of KSA.

It's an open secret that Fahd and Abdullah don't really like each other. Abdullah disagrees with the way Fahd runs the Saudi Armed Forces and KSA in general.

One time when Fahd had a stroke, Fahd's close aides were ordered not to let Abdullah see Fahd personally.

You see a lot of people don't know this, there's been a long-running internal rift (or should I say feud) in the House of Saud waaaaay before Fahd's health become an issue even waaay before the Al-Qaeda/Ossama Bin Laden/Iraq issue.