SAUDI ARABIA: Saudi Arabia buries its crown prince in funeral attended by leaders and senior officials of Muslim countries

Record ID: 188812

  • Title: SAUDI ARABIA: Saudi Arabia buries its crown prince in funeral attended by leaders and senior officials of Muslim countries
  • Date: 26th October 2011
  • Summary: RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA (OCTOBER 25, 2011) (REUTERS) PRINCE KHALED, SON OF DECEASED CROWN PRINCE SULTAN, RECEIVING CONDOLENCES INSIDE IMAM TURKI BIN ABDULLAH MOSQUE PRESIDENT OF AFGHANISTAN HAMID KARZAI SITTING INSIDE THE MOSQUE PRINCE NAYEF BIN ABDUL AZIZ, INTERIOR MINISTER AND MAN WIDELY EXPECTED TO BECOME NEXT CROWN PRINCE SAAD AL HARIRI, FORMER PRIME MINISTER OF LEBANON SITTING SABAH AL-AHMAD AL-JABER AL-SABAH, EMIR OF KUWAIT, WALKING IN MOSQUE ALI AKBAR SALEHI, IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER, WALKING IN THE MOSQUE VARIOUS OF MOURNERS PRAYING ON THE BODY OF THE CROWN PRINCE SULTAN SAUDI KING ABDULLAH WEARING MASK AND PRAYING PRINCE NAYEF AND SONS OF CROWN PRINCE CARRYING THE BODY OF CROWN PRINCE SULTAN FOR PRAYER ROYAL FAMILY MEMBERS CARRYING BODY MOURNERS CLOSE OF ROYAL GUARD OFFICER PRINCE SALMAN BIN ABDULAZIZ, PRINCE OF RIYADH AND MEMBERS OF ROYAL FAMILY CARRYING THE BODY OF CROWN PRINCE SULTAN IRAN'S SALEHI WALKING BETWEEN THE CROWD REFLECTION OF SECURITY GUARD ON PRINCE NAYEF'S CAR PRINCE NAYEF ENTERING HIS CAR HELICOPTER FLYING OVER MOSQUE AREA VARIOUS OF PEOPLE OPPOSITE THE MOSQUE WATCHING THE FUNERAL OLD SAUDI WOMAN SAYING: "I CALL ON GOD THAT HIS SON KHALID AND HIS BROTHERS BE THE SAME AS HIM (PHILANTHROPISTS) SECURITY FORCES LEAVING MOSQUE AREA
  • Embargoed: 10th November 2011 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Saudi Arabia, Saudi Arabia
  • Country: Saudi Arabia
  • Topics: Royalty,Obituaries,Royalty
  • Reuters ID: LVAWBB3FPL5BFCXZZ1VA67C5R5O
  • Story Text: The funeral of Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Sultan on Tuesday (October 25) set the stage for King Abdullah to name a new heir, widely expected to be veteran Interior Minister Prince Nayef, a choice that would emphasise stability in the world's top oil exporter.
    Amid the flashing of cameras, Sultan's sons and brothers carried his corpse, swathed in a brown shroud, on a bier through a throng of mourners in Riyadh's sprawling Imam Turki bin Abdullah mosque for funeral prayers before burial.
    The body of Sultan, who died of colon cancer in New York on Saturday (October 22), was flown back to Riyadh on Monday, accompanied by his younger brother and Riyadh Governor Prince Salman, who may now play a more prominent role in the conservative Islamic kingdom.
    Among the mourners who went forward to greet King Abdullah after the prayer recital was Iran's Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi, whose country is a regional rival of Saudi Arabia. Earlier this month Tehran was accused of backing a plot to assassinate the Saudi ambassador to Washington, soon after Riyadh had blamed armed protests among its Shi'ite minority on an unnamed foreign power -- a coded reference to Iran.
    The Royal Court said it would be open to accept condolences for three days from Tuesday. A U.S. delegation headed by Vice President Joe Biden is expected in Riyadh on Thursday.
    At stake in Saudi Arabia's transition is the direction of a major U.S. ally with an ageing leadership trying to reconcile its conservative traditions with the needs of a modern economy and a young, increasingly outward-looking population.
    The death of Crown Prince Sultan, who was also defence minister, might also lead to a wider cabinet reshuffle.
    Saudi Arabia, which dominates world oil markets and holds profound influence over Muslims through its guardianship of Islam's holiest sites in Mecca and Medina, faces turbulence in its neighbours and a confrontation with regional rival Iran.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register