The King of Saudi Arabia, 84-year-old Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, has undergone gallbladder surgery after being admitted to King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre earlier this week for inflammation of the organ.
The state news agency, SPA, reported that the surgery was successful, and the King is recovering well. He will remain in the Riyadh hospital for some time to recover from the operation and to receive treatments post-surgery as advised by his medical team.
The Royal Court said that His Majesty “underwent a laparoscopic surgery to remove the gall bladder today… at King Faisal Specialist Hospital in Riyadh.”
The King underwent medical checks earlier this week that led to the surgery and was said on Tuesday to be in stable condition. That same day, he was able to hold a cabinet meeting through a video call.
News of his hospitalisation led to Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi postponing his visit to the Kingdom, and the King has since received calls from the leaders of Bahrain, Jordan, and Kuwait.
King Salman has been on the Saudi throne since 2015 after the death of his half-brother, King Abdullah.
His successor is his son, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, 34, who is commonly called MBS. He has brought about sweeping changes in the kingdom that have included allowing women to have more rights. However, improvements he has helped bring about in the country have been overshadowed by the death of Saudi dissident journalist, Jamal Khashoggi. The Crown Prince has been accused by numerous governments and the UN of being involved in the assassination of the journalist.
