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Saudi king, 84, has successful surgery

23 July 2020 19:57 (UTC +04:00)

Saudi Arabia’s 84-year-old ruler, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, underwent a successful operation to remove his gallbladder after he was admitted to hospital this week, APA reports citing Reuters.

The king, who has ruled the world’s largest oil exporter and close U.S. ally since 2015, will stay in hospital for some time to receive treatment.

King Salman, the custodian of Islam’s holiest sites, was admitted to hospital in the capital Riyadh, suffering from inflammation of the gallbladder on Monday.

He has since chaired a cabinet meeting via video call from hospital in the capital Riyadh on Tuesday and could be seen in a video behind a desk, reading and leafing through documents.

King Salman was crown prince and deputy premier for over 2-1/2 years from June 2012 before becoming king. He also served as governor of the Riyadh region for more than 50 years.