Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas expresses his condolences to King Salman in Riyadh on Saturday.
AFP/Riyadh
More foreign leaders flocked to Saudi Arabia paying their respects to King Salman yesterday, as the normally gridlocked streets of Riyadh turned quiet on a day of mourning for his predecessor Abdullah.
Singapore’s Home Affairs Minister Teo Chee Hean arrived, as did Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete, and Libya’s internationally-recognised Prime Minister Abdullah al-Thinni.
From across the Arab and Muslim worlds, from Europe, Asia, and America, presidents, prime ministers and sheikhs have flown in to express condolences.
Salman, 79, acceded to the throne on Friday after Abdullah’s death at the age of about 90.
US President Barack Obama announced he would cut short a visit to India to travel to the kingdom tomorrow.
Obama “called King Salman bin Abdulaziz from Air Force One today to personally express his sympathies”, the White House said on Saturday.
Salman, a half-brother of Abdullah who reigned for almost a decade, declared yesterday a nationwide holiday “to provide comfort and facilitation to all citizens in offering condolences” and allegiance to the new monarch, the official Saudi Press Agency said.
Dignitaries greeted Salman and Crown Prince Muqrin, 69, on Saturday night at Al Yamamah Palace, the royal court.
Foreign Minister Mohamed Javad Zarif of Iran was among the guests.
Both Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko joined the well-wishers.
Other guests included French President Francois Hollande, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla, European royalty and Jordan’s King Abdullah II. Prince Charles and Prime Minister David Cameron came from Britain.
World leaders have praised Abdullah as a key mediator between Muslims and the West.
“Saudi Arabia is a partner, both economic and political,” Hollande said before his arrival in Riyadh with Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian.
Salman pledged to keep the kingdom on a steady course.
Salman is widely expected to follow Abdullah’s foreign and energy policies as well as moderate reforms.
Abdullah built new cities, universities and railways.
The Al Hayat newspaper carried full-page advertisements yesterday pledging support for Salman and condolences on the death of Abdullah.
A cartoon in the daily pictured a Saudi couple in tearful prayer before a smiling Abdullah waving from a framed portrait.
“Rest in peace and may you go to paradise,” the couple said.
