Saudi Arabia's 84-year-old ruler, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, has been admitted to hospital in the capital Riyadh, suffering from inflammation of the gall bladder, state news agency SPA said on Monday.
Ryan Brooks reports.
Saudi Arabia's 84-year-old ruler King Salman bin Abdulaziz has been admitted to the hospital, according to state media on Monday (July 20).
They say the king is suffering from gall bladder inflammation and is undergoing medical checks in the capital Riyadh.
King Salman has ruled the world's largest oil exporter - and close U.S. ally - since 2015.
He spent two-and-a-half years as the Saudi crown prince before becoming king and the custodian of Islam's holiest sites.
34-year-old Mohammed bin Salman is now the crown prince and next in line to the throne.
Widely known as MBS, he's popular among young Saudis and has won praise at home for loosening social limits in the kingdom, including giving more rights to women.
He's also pledged to transform Saudi's economy and end its quote 'addiction' to oil.
However, state control of the media and a crackdown on dissent make it difficult to gauge the extent of domestic enthusiasm.
Saudi Arabia's 84-year-old ruler, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, has undergone a successful operation to remove his gallbladder, state..