The king will remain in hospital for a period of time after the “successful” operation, a statement added. (File)
Riyadh:
Saudi Arabia’s ruler King Salman, 84, underwent successful surgery on Thursday to remove his gallbladder, the royal court said, three days after his hospitalization.
Saudi Arabia rarely reports on the health of the aging monarch, who has led the Arab world‘s largest oil exporter and largest economy since 2015.
The king is the second reigning Gulf monarch to be hospitalized after 91-year-old Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, amid the regional dual crisis of the coronavirus pandemic and the fall crude prices.
The king “underwent laparoscopic surgery to remove the gallbladder today … at King Faisal’s specialist hospital in Riyadh,” the royal court said in a statement released by the official Saudi press agency.
The king will remain in hospital for a period of time after the “successful” operation, the statement added.
The monarch was admitted to hospital on Monday “for medical tests” due to inflammation of the gallbladder, according to the royal court.
The king’s hospitalization prompted Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhemi to postpone his planned visit to Saudi Arabia, which was due to start on Monday.
A video released by state media on Tuesday showed the king chairing a virtual cabinet meeting from the hospital.
The silent video was apparently aimed at dispelling rumors about the king’s health.
In 2017, Saudi Arabia rejected reports and growing speculation that the king was planning to abdicate in favor of his young son, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is widely seen as the de facto ruler.
During the king’s reign, Saudi Arabia launched ambitious economic reforms for a post-oil era and gave more rights to women, but also adopted a more assertive foreign policy and went to war in neighboring Yemen.
(This story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
