Saudi king admitted to hospital
King Fahd was taken to a Riyadh hospital today for medical tests, the Saudi Press Agency said.
The official news agency carried a royal office statement saying King Fahd was admitted to King Faisal Specialist Hospital in Riyadh for medical tests.
“We ask God to keep and protect the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, grant him health and well-being,” the statement said.
An official who received information about the king’s condition said he was believed to have pneumonia and his condition was said to be very serious.
Fahd has been ruling in name only since he suffered a stroke in 1995. The stroke left Fahd with short-term memory loss and an inability to concentrate for long stretches. His half brother, Crown Prince Abdullah, has been de-facto ruler of Saudi Arabia since then.
Fahd has been in ill health for a long time and rumours of his death have surfaced from time to time.
Visitors who saw Fahd after his stroke reported the king was barely aware of what was going on around him and could not recognise those who shook hands with him.
Foreign dignitaries have been given brief meetings with the king, who is usually accompanied by close family members.
In the event of Fahd’s death, Abdullah is expected to take over as ruler.
