Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah ascends throne

Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz ascended the throne in the Royal Palace in central Riyadh Wednesday afternoon, succeeding late King Fahd Bin Abdul Aziz.

Meanwhile, King Abdullah's half-brother Prince Sultan became the new crown prince and deputy prime minister, besides his current posts of minister of defence and aviation and inspector general.

Saudi Arabians thronged into the marble-lined palace and pledged allegiance to King Abdullah and Crown Prince Sultan, which is an Islamic tradition in the kingdom.

King Abdullah, who was born in 1924, was appointed deputy premier in 1975. He became crown prince in 1982, the year when late King Fahd ascended the throne.

In the past decade, Abdullah had been the de facto ruler of the kingdom since Fahd suffered a stroke in 1995.

King Fahd, 83, passed away in hospital on Monday and was laid to rest at a cemetery in the capital after a number of world leaders paid their last respects to the late monarch on Tuesday.

Fahd was taken to hospital in May due to acute pneumonia.

Crown Prince Sultan, born in 1928, was appointed Prince of Riyadh in 1946. He then took several cabinet posts, including minister of agriculture in 1953, minister of transport in 1955, minister of defence and aviation and general inspector in 1962. In 1982, he was chosen as second deputy prime minister, besides his ministerial post.

Source: Xinhua