Saudi Arabia bids farewell to King Fahd

RIYADH, Tuesday (AFP) Saudis and a host of foreign dignitaries were Tuesday to pay their respects to King Fahd in a funeral which is the final act in an era that saw the monarch steer his country through the most turbulent decades in its history.

Fahd's half-brother Crown Prince Abdullah, de facto ruler for a decade, was swiftly anointed his successor and powerful Defence Minister Sultan bin Abdul Aziz was chosen as crown prince of the ultra-conservative Gulf kingdom.

Several Arab leaders, including Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Jordanian King Abdullah II and Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas, were to attend the funeral in Riyadh of the man they have hailed as a great Arab leader.

But emphasising the close ties Fahd forged with the Western world, French President Jacques Chirac and Britain's heir to the throne Prince Charles were also due in Riyadh Tuesday to pay their respects to the late king.

Saudi government forces would be applying tight security measures during the funeral of King Fahd at the Imam Turki bin Abdullah mosque in the center of the capital, an interior ministry spokesman said. Regional governors were also instructed by the new King Abdullah to open centres to allow people to pay condolences without having to travel to the capital for the funeral.

King Fahd, aged 84 and married five times, died in hospital at dawn on Monday, after 23 years on the throne in which he led the country through oil crises, wars and the deadly menace of Islamic extremism. State television interrupted programmes to air verses from the Koran and many members of the ruling family crowded the Riyadh hospital where the monarch passed away to pay their last respects.

UN chief Kofi Annan paid tribute to a veteran statesman who had attended the world body's inaugural meeting in 1945, while US President George W. Bush telephoned King Abdullah and offered his congratulations.

"We wish Saudi Arabia peace and prosperity under his leadership. I have spoken today to the new king, and the United States looks forward to continuing the close partnership between our two countries," said the president.

Across the Arab world governments voiced their sadness and announced periods of mourning. An Arab summit due to be held in Egypt was postponed.

"History will remember the great and numerous achievements he accomplished for the sake of the holy sites, his people and his nation," Mubarak said.

Fahd, who became king in 1982 but was forced by ill health to hand over most powers to Abdullah in 1995, had been admitted to King Faisal Specialist Hospital in Riyadh in late May for "medical tests". He was said to have suffered respiratory problems caused by pneumonia.

Announcing the succession, an official statement said:

"Members of the family have pledged allegiance to Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz as king over the country.

"Then, King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz... chose Defence Minister Sultan bin Abdul Aziz as crown prince... and members of the family pledged allegiance to his highness." Believed to have been born in 1921, Fahd took charge in 1982 of the vast kingdom which holds a quarter of proven global oil reserves. He guided Saudi Arabia through the most turbulent era in its history, which saw the kingdom survive two Gulf wars only to have to confront the menace of Islamic extremism.

Two years of strife perpetrated by Islamic extremists have claimed the lives of 90 civilians, 42 security personnel and 113 militants, according to official figures.