(Riyadh) King Salman of Saudi Arabia, 84 years, underwent Thursday “successfully” the removal of his gall bladder, three days after being admitted to hospital, the royal cabinet said.
Posted on 23 July 2020 at 13 h 13
France Media Agency
It is rare for Saudi Arabia to communicate on the state of health of the monarch who has since 2015 ruled the kingdom, the world's leading exporter of crude oil and largest economy in the Arab world.
King Salman is the second ruler of an Arab Gulf country to be hospitalized in recent days. Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, 91, traveled to the United States on Thursday for medical treatment.
King Salman “underwent today (Thursday) a laparoscopic operation to remove the gallbladder at the King Faisal specialized hospital in Riyadh”, said the royal cabinet in a statement released by the official agency SPA.
He is due to remain in hospital for a period of recovery after the “successful” operation, the statement added.
In a telephone interview, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman “reassured” US President Donald Trump about the king's good health, according to SPA.
The Saudi ruler chaired a meeting of the Council of Ministers from the hospital on Wednesday.
His hospitalization on Monday for an inflammation of the gallbladder prompted the postponement of a visit to Riyadh by Iraqi Prime Minister Moustafa al-Kazimi.
Under the reign of King Salman, the ultraconservative kingdom which applies a rigorous version of Islam launched economic reforms for the post-oil era. He also adopted a more assertive foreign policy and went to war against Yemeni rebels, backed by Iran, his regional rival.
Saudi Arabia has faced a series of controversies since King Salman's son was appointed Crown Prince in June 2017, particularly after the assassination in October 2018 of Saudi journalist and critic of power in Riyadh, Jamal Khashoggi, at his country's consulate in Istanbul.
The crown prince has been named by Turkish and American officials as the sponsor of the murder. Riyadh claimed it was committed by Saudi operatives who acted alone and without receiving orders from their leaders.