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KING ABDULLAH BIN Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia has died. He was 90 years old.
His death was confirmed by a royal court statement on Thursday night.
It is understood his half brother, Crown Prince Salman, will ascend the throne.
King Abdullah had been admitted to hospital on New Year’s Eve suffering with pneumonia.
BBC News says that Saudi television stations cut programming and broadcast Koranic verses as a sign that a senior royal had died.
Abdullah became king in 2005. He has been described as a patient reformer who tried to rid Saudi of the influence of hardline Islamists.
Using oil wealth, he launched projects to build new economic cities, universities and high-speed railway with an aim to turn the country into a moderate, constructive partner in global politics.
n 2011, Abdullah withstood the convulsions of the Arab Spring uprisings that ousted several leaders in the region, splashing out from vast surpluses of cash to try to keep people content.
More recently, Saudi Arabia has been among several Gulf countries taking part in a US-led air campaign against the Islamic State jihadist group in Syria.
But over the years, Abdullah’s age and commitment to consensus allowed entrenched conservatives to resist his reforms, amid a lack of clarity about the future path of the monarchy.
His kingdom is still strongly criticised for a dismal human rights record, including the imprisonment of dissidents.
Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world which does not allow women to drive.
Women are required to dress in black from head to toe and still need permission from a male guardian to work and marry.
Saudi Arabia has stepped up its use of the death penalty, usually by beheading, despite repeated appeals from the United Nations and human rights watchdogs.
With AFP
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Hopefully his stance on women drivers will be abolished now so the Saudis can suffer along with the rest of us.
Ssssssssssssss
And Ireland sheds a tear, one collective tear for a tyrant!
There is not much difference between ISIS and Saudi Arabia
Hahaha!
That was for Bull Mick’s comment!
His hair was still black though which is a good thing right.
Good riddance!
ISIS is Saudi Arabia
Poor man
Good riddance!
Never good to mock the dead, but this guy was a right pr*ck. Hopefully the next king will stop funding terrorist groups and ruling the country like a medieval land, though I highly doubt anything will change.
Abdull-abhaile …
There’ll be some cheap tea-towels going up for sale on Ebay tomorrow I’d say…..
Tres Sheik.
Does this mean that the Saudis will stop funding Al Qaida and ISIS? If so, where and how will the US and Israel decide who and what their next top targets are? Or will his unelected son continue following the same staepic objective of blaming Iran and the Palestinian civilians for a fictional conflict?
Iran would be the next target I would imagine, don’t know why you got so many thumbs down for your post
David Cameron praised him for his working for peace and Joe Bidon will lead the American delegation to his funeral. He was a tyrant, go figure. Couldn’t be anything to do with oil, could it?
I shiver when I see Biden’s name ..after that clip with the child that was up here a few days ago !
Who will Obama genuflect to now?
I don’t think it was the Saudi government but the citizens.
The statement, “Hopefully the next king will stop funding terrorist groups” is simply untrue. SA certainly spreads a version of Islam that is hard line and that may contribute to the problem but there is no evidence they fund terror groups. They’re hardly bombing ISIS and giving them money at the same time. 4 red thumbs?? There’s too many people living in Cloud Cuckoo Land on the Internet. People need to get real and forget about the daft conspiracies.
Love it.
William I didn’t say they’re funding ISIS, because I don’t know if they are. I do know they impose Sharia law, like ISIS. I know they lash people and imprison them for daring to question this, despite having been part of the sham march in Paris a couple of weeks ago. I know last week they beheaded a woman in the street. They should be Pariahs on the international stage, but they’re not.
Dermot, I didn’t say you said anything. I was referring to the posting from Derek. I know the SA government are cretins from the 7th century but they don’t fund ISIS.
Hope the next leader is more modern.
Not likely unfortunately..
Diarmaid – according to one source – your name remembers a time in Ireland when red snow fell – Fionn Sneachta – Wine-snow ….
There will be murders over the money.
Wait til they go to the stables to pick their favourite horse …..
It’ll be like Godfather with horses’ heads going to bed all over the place !
Its not relevant but Fionn means fair haired or whiite
So O’Fionnachtha means Snow-white
@Dermot
Did you know that the character in whose bed the horse’s head was placed was a paedophile? The scene that indicated this was cut before the film was released in cinemas.
The Saudi Royal family especially the inner circle have to tread carefully with regard to modernity. The Islamic conservatives in the country hold a lot of sway. Moving too fast (and to the conservatives to radically) could cause internal strife lead by those of the Royal House further away from the throne eyeing that very throne.
As I said according to one source …. the annals back up my contention …but it is an irrelevance for now .
No Ciaran I didn’t know that …very interesting ….. The Catholic church have reports of paedophilia in its organisation going back to the Fourth or fifth centuries …..
Ppqeaaaaaaaaqqqw
Mick you make it sound like they want to change and I doubt they do. They could start by not beheading people on the streets.
Dermot is correct on this one I’m afraid. The only debate is whether it’s meant to mean wine or blood.
Was that not a certain polish man from rome?
Is the word not Fíon?
Thomas – your Irish education stands you in good stead !
That or google means we could shut down every school in the planet !
Only the good die young.
We don’t like him. Fair enough. But some people in Abu Dhabi Dooo
Wrong country
I know but I’ve been waiting to use that for years but nothing happening in UAE! It’s only up the road.
Fair enough, but the link is a little Dubaious
Also in the news……. The ‘Just for Men’ factory is to close with a loss of 150 jobs!!!!!
Abdullah’s death is like the latest development in the storyline of a soap opera, which would be called “Middle East-enders”.
Sorry. Couldn’t resist adding black humour to the discussion.
In fairness to OPEC – they have done more to help out struggling Irish Families than ever Fianna fail and Labour and Fine Gael have done in years…
Petrol and diesel down and now Ruairi Quinn’s brother will have to defend the ridiculous costs of Electricity …
Oh shut up you buffoon. You literally have NO idea what you are talking about. Not one iota. Nada.
So Opec didn’t bring down the price of oil ? …
Let’s see you snake out of this one ….. Praise , or Bill or Will or whatever pseudonyms High Command deems necessary to keep inevitable vengeance at bay ….
Perhaps the difference between me and you is that I know why the Pope flew home early from the Phillipines and you never will !
And the last one is far far too cryptic for you to ever understand – so don’t bother Praise – It isn’t even for you !
Hail the new king same as the old king
22 words surley a record for shortest article ever on the journal.
Not even a more to follow ….
They’ll get at least 27 more articles out of this one
And stop calling me surely.
Hey Conor,
That was just the Breaking News line. Had the rest up a minute later!
Sinead
Touché
Back to Saudi Arabia for the latest news on the death of the king.
When now reveal that He’s still dead!
Oil’d age that done him.
probably need a few beheadings to cover this gap
Is this Crown Prince Salman single by any chance? Wouldn’t mind being a queen, tbh.
Well you are Queen of the Journal Mrs S.
All hail the queen of the journal !
Why is the king of Saudi Arabia always succeeded by a brother? The country might have modernised slightly by now if the throne had passed down a few generations
They probably have a seniority succession system, rather than primogeniture. Ye, I play too much Crusader Kings.
Won’t be long now until Iran takes over and sorts that problem out.
Now that the king of Saudi Arabia passed away, are we going to see a full democratic elections from the same people backed the killing of thousands in Syria under the name of democracy and human rights? Are the West and the US going to push for the freedom of the Saudi people in choosing their leader like they are doing in Syria?
No, no one will see that, because simply its hypocrisy at its best.
Lovely humble man
Read what he did to his wife and daughters.
Which wife?
Who cares. People die everyday in Saudi -some murdered by his relatives.
Ciaran that’s just another “he said, she said” messy divorce.
The king is dead, long live the king.
The king is dead long live the Queen…oh sorry forgot, they don’t even let them drive.
That’s not fair we should show more respect to the UK…they’re our nearest neighbour
حاولت … بحار يبارك
Uncle Sam has lost a true stooge and proxy.
..to be replace by a new stooge and proxy
Who gives a shite……
Who gives a shite about anything really
As far as I know the constipated couldn’t give a shite … but I haven’t worked it out yet !
Apparently he was a bit of a reformer – gave women the vote and allowed them to work more
true but only after presiding over a large swathe of time when women were allowed to do nothing.
those reforms are scant at best and only came through in the last decade
presiding as in in a powerful position. Not king obviously
So what you’re saying is that the reforms only came through after he became king?
Ding Dong the Witch is Dead
Just looking at sky news and seeing Obama smiling , shaking his hand and nodding his head like the marionette he is.
Can’t really mourn an autocratic leader with medieval ideas and a funder of ISIS. You’d like to hope things will change for the better with his successor, but there’s Wahabi nutcases are all the same.
The Saudis are bombing ISIS.
The Queen of England seemed to like him going by photos in the papers today.
Her son, Jug Ears, loves to dress up like him
https://www.google.ie/search?q=Prince+Charles+in+arab+clothing&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=UCrCVKLuJciI7AaFi4H4Bg&ved=0CCEQsAQ&biw=1920&bih=876
RIP
Nothing but a tyrant. Hopefully a more modern leader will get in. And bring Saudi Arabia into the 21st century.
Good enough for him. Hope it was painful like all the unfortunate souls who fell foul of this butcher.
You may not like him(I personally don’t), but it’s quite sad seeing pepole in the comment section mock the dead.Surely you’ve got better things to be doing?
After 120 years of full-blown naked British oppression on this island then Gallows humour is de riguer in Ireland – some might say ….
Let’s see Abdullah, regular hanging, beheading and slave labour. Not exactly a nation of democracy and freedom.
The Saudi royal family lap up western consumerism, and their women are not dressed from head to toe in black bin liners but western chic, just take a look at the stunning Princess Ameera al-Taweel.
Yes its hypocrisy at its finest but you get the feeling Saudi Arabia would be a lot more moderate only for the fear of the hardliners and the very real threat they carry.
If you don’t want to be criticised after your death, just live a better life. It’s not complicated.
Abdul: would you have a problem if people spoke ill of Hitler?
In my mind this man was nearly as bad – just not quite as effective in the numbers he got tortured, flogged and beheaded
At 90 he’s done well to maintain his jet black facial hair…
@ITsLaraMarlowe……………He oiled it.
3 days of mourning declared in Oman due to his passing…no work Sunday!
Heartbreaking news. I dont think i can go on.
Good!
he looked well for a lad of 90.
Will there be free ham sandwiches and beer at the wake?
As long as you have oil and play ball with the west. Your a lovely person. Nicest ever. Sure his successor will continue the tyranny do what he wants . Treat his citizens as he wants and continue the be headings.
Meanwhile they’re still looking for a new swordsman to continue the long tradition of Friday public beheadings and the West are sending nice fluffy messsges of condolences.
Good riddance to bad rubbish.
His replacement wahabbi fanatic, will probably be just as bad or worse.
Same old, same old.
You would swear this fella was Ghandi the way world leaders are eulogising over him . According to the BBC he was one of 37 sons of his father , no mention of there being any daughters but of course women don’t matter anyways there . Shame these leaders who espouse Liberty ignore human rights violations because this oil rich Neaderthal country pretends to be an ally but talks out of both sides of the same mouth . Respect for the dead etc but not a life worth celebrating internationally
“Don’t blame me, I voted for Kodos”. The Saudi family is massive with a Long line of successors should one fall. One can only hope the progressive thinking increases with every funeral.
Ding dong the bigot is dead!
That would be the boot polish tash and goatee….
I wish I could say RIP to this man, but instead I say in his memory “Another one bites the dust”
will this affect Saudi funding of Isis?
Easy to survive the Arab spring when you are the leader of the country masterminding them.
“He has been described as a patient reformer who tried to rid Saudi of the influence of hardline Islamists.”
Satire strikes the writings of Journal.ie
A country with no women drivers sounds like absolute paradise.
Good riddance to the filthy rich, cruel, ugly, fat b a s tard!
Thanks for the cheap juice mate
The so called International community has lost a ‘very dear friend’….. and good riddance too
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