84-Year-Old Saudi King Salman Hospitalized with Cholecystitis Symptoms

King Salman bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia
[Photo by Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud was hospitalized due to symptoms of cholecystitis, AP News and others reported on the 20th (local time).

According to reports, the Saudi royal family announced that King Salman was admitted to the Faisal Specialist Hospital in Riyadh, the capital, due to cholecystitis. AP explained that this hospital has recently been responsible for treating the Saudi royal family, including COVID-19 treatment, and specializes in transplant surgeries and R&D programs.

AP mentioned that the Saudi king had not appeared in public for several months to prevent the spread of COVID-19 within the royal family and to maintain social distancing.

Appointed crown prince in 2012 and becoming king in 2015, he is 84 years old this year, but his specific health condition has not been disclosed. Since 2017, he has handed over most of his executive powers to his son, Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman. AP reported that since Saudi Arabia is the world's largest oil producer, King Salman's health is drawing significant attention.

King Salman sought change in Saudi Arabia, which had undergone slow and gradual reforms, by implementing rapid and comprehensive reforms. Since taking power, he initiated the war with Yemen, strengthened the stance against the Shiite rival country Iran, and severed relations with neighboring Qatar.

His successor, Crown Prince Muhammad, is promoting the 'Vision 2030' project, which aims to prepare for the post-oil era by diversifying Saudi Arabia's industrial structure and focuses on enhancing women's rights and expanding social participation. At the end of 2018, he was also embroiled in allegations related to the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi national and Washington Post (WP) columnist.

AP reported that the visit of Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi to Saudi Arabia, scheduled for the 20th, was postponed due to King Salman's hospitalization. The Iraqi government delegation had already arrived in Saudi Arabia to prepare for Al-Kadhimi's visit. Earlier, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif visited Baghdad, the capital of Iraq, on the 19th and met with Prime Minister Al-Kadhimi.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.