Saudi Arabia's 'reformer' King Abdullah dies at 90
Abdullah ibn Abdulaziz al-Saud, born on August 1, 1924,
passed away after a long illness at the age of 90. Like his father, King
Abdulaziz bin Abdul Rahman, and equally important, like his brother Faisal,
Abdullah will long be remembered as one of the most reform-minded rulers in the
history of the kingdom.
Among
his most important contributions to contemporary Saudi society were his efforts
to revamp the country’s succession mechanism, which he revamped in 2007,
when he established the Allegiance Council (Hayat al-Bayaa). His successor, the late king's brother, Salman bin Abdilaziz al-Saud, 79, will most likely continue in his footsteps,
pursuing consistent policies both at the regional and global levels.
Abdullah became the first king to visit Riyadh's shantytowns where he witnessed the level of poverty that some Saudis experience, and vowed to take the necessary measures to alleviate those conditions.
