King Salman: what do we know about new Saudi Arabian leader?

The 79-year-old faces 'exceptional new challenges' as he takes over from the late King Abdullah

The new king of Saudi Arabia Salman bin Abdulaziz
Salman bin Abdulaziz
(Image credit: FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP/Getty)

The death of King Abdullah means his half-brother Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz has been left in charge of Saudi Arabia. In a televised statement today, 79-year-old Salman announced his brother's death and declared that he had assumed the throne, putting him in charge of a fifth of the world's known petroleum reserves, as well as Islam's holiest sites, Mecca and Medina.

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