King Abdullah Laid to Rest
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Min 03º Max 23º High Tide 01:14 & 15:01 Low Tide SATURDAY, JANUARY 24, 2015 RABI ALTHANI 4, 1436 AH www.kuwaittimes.net 08:48 & 20:57 32 PAGES NO: 16412 150 FILS King Abdullah laid to rest RIYADH: Saudi Arabia buried King Abdullah yesterday as foreign leaders gathered in the capital for the from the editor’s desk funeral of the ruler of the world’s top oil exporter and the spiritual home of Islam. Abdullah, a cautious reformer who led his kingdom through a turbulent decade in a region shaken by the Arab Spring uprisings and extremism, died early yesterday aged about 90. He was replaced by his half-brother Salman, who moved quickly to consolidate his hold on power and vowed to maintain a steady course for the conserva- A great loss tive kingdom. King Salman joined Gulf rulers and leaders including HH the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al- Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistani Prime Minister By Abd Al-Rahman Al-Alyan Nawaz Sharif for a funeral service at Riyadh’s Imam Turki bin Abdullah mosque. Abdullah’s shrouded body was borne on a simple bier by members of the royal family wearing traditional red-and-white [email protected] checked shemagh headgear. The body was quickly moved to nearby Al-Oud public cemetery where it was buried in an unmarked grave. Citizens were invited to pledge allegiance to Salman at the royal palace. Another of the late monarch’s half-brothers, Muqrin, was named crown prince. In his first he loss of a towering figure such as public statement as the new ruler, 79-year-old King Salman vowed to “remain, with God’s His Highness King Abdullah bin strength, attached to the straight path that this state has walked since its establish- TAbdulaziz Al-Saud will be felt across ment”. He called in televised remarks for “unity and solidarity” among Muslims and the Arab and Islamic world, and the news vowed to work in “the defence of the causes of our nation”. Moving quickly to clear of his demise was received with much sad- uncertainty over the transition to the next generation, Salman named the interior ness. His death is not only a great loss for minister, Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, as second in line to the throne. He also Saudi Arabia, but also for the rest of us in appointed one of his own sons, Prince Mohammed, as defence minister. the Gulf, who looked up to him as a father The rapidity of the decisions startled Saudis, used to a delay of up to figure. The late king continued the devel- several months before top appointments following the deaths of their opment of the country and took major monarchs. The choice of Prince Mohammed was seen by some as a steps towards its future generations. reflection of his strong record in counter-terrorism in his role as interi- However, his contributions reached far or minister. In a country with a young population, many Saudis will beyond his kingdom, as he was a man be unable to recall a time before King Abdullah’s rule, both as known for his generosity and loyalty. monarch from 2005 and as de facto regent for a decade The achievements I would like to high- before that. light the most are those in education. Under Abdullah, who took the throne in 2005, Saudi King Abdullah’s reign saw the develop- Arabia has been a key ally of Washington in the Arab ment of over 28 universities and various world, most recently joining the US-led coalition car- educational research centers. These vast rying out air strikes against the Islamic State group educational facilities will surely pave the in Syria and Iraq. US President Barack Obama future of Saudi Arabia, led by his epony- was quick to pay tribute to Abdullah as a “val- mous university that has spared no ued” ally. expense and effort to develop the sci- As the top producer in the ences in the country. Organisation of Petroleum Exporting King Abdullah was adamant on the Countries, Saudi Arabia has been the driv- education of the Saudi youth, to the ing force behind the cartel’s refusal to slash extent that he nearly quadrupled the output to support oil prices, which have fall- number of Saudi students studying en by more than 50 percent since June. But abroad on government grants. He wanted prices surged yesterday, amid uncertainty over them to experience different cultures and whether the new king would maintain that policy. broaden their minds to ensure that these Saudi Arabia is home to Islam’s holiest sites, leaders of the future are progressive in Makkah and Madinah, and its role as a spiritual their outlook and help the kingdom reach leader for Sunni Muslims has seen it vying for influ- greater heights. ence with Shiite-dominated Iran. Tehran nonetheless King Abdullah’s name will always be offered its condolences, saying Foreign Minister remembered in Kuwait for his courageous Mohammad Javad Zarif would travel to Riyadh to stance against Saddam’s invasion of the take part in official ceremonies today. state in 1990. King Abdullah was the Behind his thick, jet-black moustache and goatee, crown prince at the time, and so great was Abdullah had a shrewd grasp of regional politics. Wary of the rising influence of Islamist movements, Saudi his outrage and eagerness to stand with Arabia has been a generous supporter of Egyptian Kuwait that he was ready to push Saudi leader Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi since the army’s ouster of Arabia into a lone, suicidal war against Iraq Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood. Egypt if the international community was not declared seven days of official mourning for Abdullah. willing to take action. Saudi Arabia has also played a key role in supporting In recent years, the late king was a opposition to Iran-backed President Bashar Al-Assad of bedrock of stability in a volatile region, Syria, allowing US troops to use its territory to train rebel with his firm stances on political issues fighters. and forward thinking on social matters. A Salman is widely expected to follow closely in simple man with simple tastes, King Abdullah’s footsteps, in foreign and energy policy as well Abdullah devoted his life in serving his as in making moderate reforms to the deeply conservative people and Arab and Muslim causes. He kingdom. Abdullah pushed through cautious changes greatly expanded pilgrimage sites in the while in power, challenging conservatives with moves such kingdom, eradicated the scourge of terror- as including women in the Shura Council, an advisory body. ism and encouraged citizens, especially He promoted the kingdom’s economic development and women, to effectively contribute to the oversaw its accession to the World Trade Organization, tap- society. ping into the country’s massive oil wealth to build new cities, King Abdullah has departed this world, universities and high-speed railways.— Agencies but he has left behind a legacy that is inspiring and lasting. SEE PAGES 2, 3, 4 & 12 CONDOLENCES Kuwait Times management and staff convey their deepest condolences to Al-Saud family and the Saudi people on the sad demise of King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud SATURDAY, JANUARY 24, 2015 OBITUARY King Abdullah a gradual modernizer New King Salman reassures on succession, policy is changes looked minute to the outside world. But in a kingdom where ultraconservative HMuslim clerics long have held a lock on all aspects of society, King Abdullah’s incremental reforms echoed mightily. When Abdullah took the unprecedent- ed step of opening a new university where men and women could mix in classrooms, part of his gradual campaign to modernize Saudi Arabia, grumbling arose among the hardliners who form the bedrock of the powerful religious establishment. One sheikh dared to openly say that the mingling of genders at the king’s university was “a great sin and a great evil”. Abdullah sent a tough signal: He fired the critic from the state-run body of clerics who set the rules for Saudi life. A picture dated on Jan 29, 1985 in Paris, shows King A picture taken on Feb 11, 2007 shows Russian As one of the world’s largest oil exporters, Saudi A picture taken on July 30, 2010 shows King Abdullah receiving an honor from Lebanese Abdullah, then crown prince, is welcomed by Elysee President Vladimir Putin and Saudi King Abdullah Arabia is governed by a mix of tribal traditions and per- presidential palace general secretary Jean-Louis during an official welcoming ceremony at the airport haps the world’s strictest interpretation of Islam. Its royal President Michel Sleiman at the Presidential Palace in Baabda, east of Beirut. Bianco (left), upon his arrival for a meeting. in Riyadh. family prefers to act quietly in the background, shies away from direct confrontation, avoids putting itself on the line and prefers slow-paced change to radical reform. But King Abdullah, who died yesterday at the age of 90 after nearly two decades in power, acted at times with unusual forcefulness for a Saudi monarch. At home, the results were reforms, including advancements for women, that were startling - for the kingdom at least - and a heavy crackdown against Al-Qaeda militants. Abroad, his methods translated into a powerful asser- tion of Saudi Arabia’s influence around the Middle East. Backed by the kingdom’s top ally, the United States, the king was aggressive in trying to put up a bulwark against the spreading power of Saudi Arabia’s top rival, mainly Shiite Iran, thus shaping the Arab world along A picture taken on June 3, 2009 shows US A picture taken on March 20, 2001 shows then A picture dated Oct 30, 2007 shows King Abdullah new lines - an anti-Iran camp and a pro-Iran camp.