RIYADH: Saudi Arabia´s new King Salman bin Abdul Aziz has vowed to keep his oil-rich kingdom on a steady course and moved to cement his hold on power following his half-brother King Abdullah´s death.
Abdullah, a cautious reformer who led the US-allied Gulf state through a turbulent decade in a region shaken by the Arab Spring uprisings and extremism, died early Friday aged about 90.
In his first public statement as the new ruler, 79-year-old King Salman vowed to remain, with God´s strength, attached to the straight path that this state has walked since its establishment.
He called for unity and solidarity among Muslims and vowed to work in the defence of the causes of our nation.
Moving to clear uncertainty over the transition to the next generation, Salman named his nephew, Interior Minister Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, 55, as second in line to the throne behind Crown Prince Moqren, 69.
His appointment helps to solidify control by the new king´s Sudayri branch of the royal family.
Salman also appointed one of his own sons, Prince Mohammed, as defence minister of the world´s top oil exporter and the birth place of Islam.
Western leaders praised the late Abdullah as a visionary leader, but campaigners criticised his human rights record and urged Salman to do more to protect freedom of speech and womens rights.
Citizens were invited to pledge allegiance to Salman at the royal palace.
Obama hails ´valued´ ally
Under Abdullah, who took the throne in 2005, Riyadh has been a key ally of Washington in the Arab world.
President Barack Obama was quick to pay tribute to Abdullah as a “valued” ally.
“The closeness and strength of the partnership between our two countries is part of King Abdullah´s legacy,” Obama said in a statement shortly after the monarch´s death.
Other tributes came in from foreign leaders, with French President Francois Hollande hailing Abdullah as “a statesman whose work profoundly marked the history of his country”.
British Prime Minister David Cameron said that Abdullah would be remembered for “his commitment to peace and for strengthening understanding between faiths.”
Cameron travelled to Saudi Arabia on Saturday to pay his respects in person.
As the top producer in OPEC, Saudi Arabia has been the driving force behind the cartels refusal to slash output to support oil prices, which have fallen by more than 50 percent since June.
But prices surged Friday, amid uncertainty over whether the new king would maintain that policy.
The International Energy Agency´s chief economist said he did not foresee major policy shifts.
“I do not expect any significant change in the oil policy of Saudi Arabia and I expect and hope that they will continue to be a stabilisation factor in the oil markets,” Fatih Birol told AFP in Davos, Switzerland.
Royal family stalwart
The kingdom is also home to Islam´s holiest sites, Mecca and Medina, and its role as a spiritual leader for Sunnis has seen it vying for influence with Shia-dominated Iran.
Behind his thick, always jet-black moustache and goatee, Abdullah had a shrewd grasp of regional politics.
Wary of the rising influence of movements, Saudi Arabia has been a generous supporter of Egyptian leader Abdel Fattah al-Sisi since the army´s ouster of Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood.
It has also played a key role in supporting opposition to Iran-backed President Bashar al-Assad of Syria, allowing US troops to use its territory to train rebel fighters.
Salman, the new king, is widely expected to follow closely in Abdullah´s footsteps, in foreign and energy policy as well as in making moderate reforms to the deeply conservative kingdom.
Abdullah pushed through cautious changes while in power, challenging conservatives with moves such as including women in the Shura Council, an advisory body.
But Saudi Arabia is still strongly criticised for a dismal human rights record, including the imprisonment of dissidents. It is also the only country in the world that does not allow women to drive.
Salman is a stalwart of the royal family credited with transforming Riyadh during his half-century as governor from a backwater to a thriving capital.
Recent years have seen concerns over his health after operations on his back, but Salman took on an increasingly high-profile role as Abdullah´s own health issues forced him from the limelight.
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