Saudi clerics, tribal chiefs and officials converged on a palace in Riyadh yesterday to pledge allegiance to King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz, the new monarch of the wealthy oil powerhouse.
One day after world leaders joined ordinary Saudi citizens in bidding farewell to King Fahd, who died on Monday, Abdullah and Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz were to receive a public endorsement in line with Islamic tradition in the ultra-conservative Gulf kingdom.
Rulers of Saudi Arabia, whose entire system is based on Islamic law, see the pledge of allegiance based on the Koran and the teachings of the Prophet Mohammad as akin to a public referendum.
Clerics, religious scholars, tribal chiefs, officials and businessmen, but also less prominent citizens, usually take part in the process, which consists in calling on the new ruler and his crown prince to greet him and offer condolences for the demise of his successor.
More foreign leaders flew in to offer condolences after the death of Fahd and congratulate the new monarch, his half-brother and de facto ruler since the late king suffered a stroke a decade ago.
French President Jacques Chirac, British Prince Charles, Swedish King Carl Gustaf XVI, Swiss President Samuel Schmid and Polish Prime Minister Marek Belka were among world figures who came to pay their respects after Fahd was buried in a simple ceremony.
The White House announced that Vice President Dick Cheney would lead a US delegation to Saudi Arabia after US President George W. Bush telephoned Abdullah to offer his condolences and congratulate him on his accession.
Fahd, believed to be aged 84, was buried in an unmarked grave at the Al-Od public cemetery in Riyadh on Tuesday after brief prayers at the Imam Turki bin Abdullah mosque during which dozens of Arab and Muslim leaders joined members of the Al-Saud ruling family.
Saudi Arabia's grand mufti, Sheikh Abdul Aziz al-Sheikh, has called on citizens to rally behind King Abdullah and his crown prince, marking the endorsement of the official religious establishment.
Fahd was laid to rest in an austere funeral ceremony in line with traditions stemming from the strict Wahhabi doctrine of Islam predominant in Saudi Arabia.
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