Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud died at dawn yesterday, the country’s royal court said in a statement carried by state media.
Sultan, whose age was officially given as 80 and who died in New York of colon cancer early yesterday Saudi time, had been heir to the throne of the world’s top oil exporter since 2005, but was a central figure in Saudi decision-making since becoming defense minister in 1962.
“With deep sorrow and sadness the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz mourns the death of his brother and his Crown Prince Sultan ... who died at dawn this morning Saturday outside the kingdom following an illness,” the statement carried on state news agency SPA and state television said.
Sultan’s health had declined in recent years and he spent long periods outside the kingdom for medical treatment. A 2009 US diplomatic cable released by WikiLeaks described him as “to all intents and purposes incapacitated.”
King Abdullah is now expected to call to session an untested “Allegiance Council” to appoint his new heir, widely expected to be Prince Nayef, the veteran interior minister.
Set up in 2006 soon after Abdullah became king, the Allegiance Council is tasked with voting to approve the monarch’s choice of crown prince or nominating its own choice instead.
The Allegiance Council consists of a representative from each of the 34 branches of the Al Saud ruling family who were born to Saudi Arabia’s founder, King Abdulaziz Ibn Saud.
Because some members are thought to be traveling, the council might not be able to convene to approve a new crown prince for some days.
Previously, the succession was decided only by the king and a small coterie of top princes.
“The succession will be orderly,” said Asaad al-Shamlan, a professor of political science in Riyadh. “The point of reference will be the ruling of the Allegiance Council. It seems to me most likely Nayef will be chosen. If he becomes crown prince, I don’t expect much immediate change.”
Prince Nayef has been interior minister since 1975 and was appointed second deputy prime minister in 2009, a position usually given to the man considered third in line to rule.
Thought to be more conservative than either King Abdullah or Prince Sultan, Prince Nayef is in his late 70s and has managed the kingdom’s day-to-day affairs during absences of both the king and crown prince.
Saudi television broke its schedules early yesterday to broadcast Koranic verses accompanied by footage of the Kaaba in Mecca, Islam’s holiest site.
Funeral services will be held in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, on Tuesday, SPA said.
King Abdullah is in his late 80s and underwent back surgery earlier this month, but has been pictured since then in apparently good health.
The king was absent for three months late last year while he underwent treatment for a herniated disc that caused blood to accumulate around his spine.
Unlike in European monarchies, the line of succession does not move directly from father to eldest son, but has moved down a line of brothers born to the kingdom’s founder Ibn Saud, who died in 1953.
The Taiwanese passport ranked 33rd in a global listing of passports by convenience this month, rising three places from last month’s ranking, but matching its position in January last year. The Henley Passport Index, an international ranking of passports by the number of designations its holder can travel to without a visa, showed that the Taiwan passport enables holders to travel to 139 countries and territories without a visa. Singapore’s passport was ranked the most powerful with visa-free access to 192 destinations out of 227, according to the index published on Tuesday by UK-based migration investment consultancy firm Henley and Partners. Japan’s and
NATIONAL SECURITY THREAT: An official said that Guan Guan’s comments had gone beyond the threshold of free speech, as she advocated for the destruction of the ROC China-born media influencer Guan Guan’s (關關) residency permit has been revoked for repeatedly posting pro-China content that threatens national security, the National Immigration Agency said yesterday. Guan Guan has said many controversial things in her videos posted to Douyin (抖音), including “the red flag will soon be painted all over Taiwan” and “Taiwan is an inseparable part of China,” while expressing hope for expedited “reunification.” The agency received multiple reports alleging that Guan Guan had advocated for armed reunification last year. After investigating, the agency last month issued a notice requiring her to appear and account for her actions. Guan Guan appeared as required,
Japan and the Philippines yesterday signed a defense pact that would allow the tax-free provision of ammunition, fuel, food and other necessities when their forces stage joint training to boost deterrence against China’s growing aggression in the region and to bolster their preparation for natural disasters. Japan has faced increasing political, trade and security tensions with China, which was angered by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remark that a Chinese attack on Taiwan would be a survival-threatening situation for Japan, triggering a military response. Japan and the Philippines have also had separate territorial conflicts with Beijing in the East and South China
A strong cold air mass is expected to arrive tonight, bringing a change in weather and a drop in temperature, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The coldest time would be early on Thursday morning, with temperatures in some areas dipping as low as 8°C, it said. Daytime highs yesterday were 22°C to 24°C in northern and eastern Taiwan, and about 25°C to 28°C in the central and southern regions, it said. However, nighttime lows would dip to about 15°C to 16°C in central and northern Taiwan as well as the northeast, and 17°C to 19°C elsewhere, it said. Tropical Storm Nokaen, currently
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