Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Saudi King Fahd bin Abdul Aziz, who died this week, was buried in the spartan style of Saudi Arabia’s strict Wahhabi Islam. While in life the king resided in sumptuous palaces and wore fine robes, in death he was wrapped in a plain cloth and placed in an unmarked grave in the desert. Fahd, who is believed to have been 82, is succeeded by his half-brother Abdullah, 82, who has effectively ruled the kingdom since Fahd’s stroke in 1995. Abdullah is not expected to make major changes, either in the country’s pro-U.S. foreign policy or its repressive domestic policy. “People have gotten used to Crown Prince Abdullah being in charge of things,” said Saudi journalist Mahmoud Ghamdi. (See Obituaries, page 36.)
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
What has Kamala Harris done as vice president?In Depth It's not uncommon for the second-in-command to struggle to prove themselves in a role largely defined by behind-the-scenes work
-
Today's political cartoons - September 16, 2024Monday's cartoons - a second assassination attempt, eating pets, and more
-
'If this is a race, China has a commanding lead'Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
