Saudi King Abdullah undergoes successful back surgery

Saudi King Abdullah undergoes successful back surgery

2010-11-25 01:48:07 GMT+7 (ICT)

NEW YORK (BNO NEWS) -- Saudi Arabian King Abdullah on Wednesday underwent successful back surgery in order to treat a slipped disc and a blood clot that was pressing on the nerves in his back.

The 86-year-old Saudi Arabian leader arrived on Tuesday to the New York Presbyterian Hospital. There were some concerns about the health of the Saudi King but officials indicated that there was nothing to worry about.

On late Tuesday, King Abdullah underwent a series of tests that resulted positive as informed by Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz, who was is currently in charge of the Saudi Arabia's affair after King Abdullah delegated him the kingdom’s issues during his absence.

Crown Prince Sultan is the half brother of King Abdullah and heir to the throne. However, there is some concerns over the throne succession as both men are over 80 years old. King Abdullah was born in 1924 while Crown Prince Sultan was born in 1928.

The royal Al Saud family has ruled Saudi Arabia for the last 60 years. King Abdullah is the 13th son of King Abdulaziz and came to power in 2005 after the death of King Fahd.

Crown Prince Sultan arrived in Saudi Arabia on November 21 after spending several months in Morocco. The crown prince has been defense minister for almost five decades. In recent times he has traveled frequently for getting various health issues treated.

The Saudi law requires that a monarch must be a son or grandson of the kingdom's founder, Abdulaziz Al Saud, who died in 1953. Other candidates for the throne are Prince Nayef, the 76-year-old interior minister, and Prince Salman, the governor of Riyadh.

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