Saudi Arabia's King Salman admitted to hospital in Jeddah to undergo medical checkups

Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud was admitted to the hospital for medical checkups on Saturday. The Royal Court informed in a statement that the octogenarian monarch was admitted to King Faisal Specialist Hospital in Jeddah for some health checkups.

"The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud was admitted Yesterday, May 07, to King Faisal Specialist Hospital in Jeddah for medical checkups. May God protect the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and bless him with health and wellness," the Royal Court's statement read, as per the official Saudi Press Agency. 

The Saudi Press Agency did not disclose any additional information regarding King Salman's condition or the nature of the medical examinations. However, the monarch's health is continuously being monitored as he holds absolute power in the kingdom. King Salman was hospitalised in Riyadh earlier this year to have the battery in his heart pacemaker replaced, Associated Press reported citing the state media. The report further mentioned that the King also had surgery to remove his gallbladder in 2020. 

King Salman issues several royal directives

Earlier on May 5, several royal directives were issued by King Salman, including the formation of two commissions to develop Taif and Al-Ahsa. The two commissions were established after the King examined what was presented to him by the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the royal order said. Each commission will have its own Board of Directors, with the Prime Minister appointing the chairman and members. The Council of Ministers' Experts Committee is responsible for preparing the required organisational arrangements, including identifying the supervisory extent of the commissions' competence and completing the required procedures. 

More about King Salman

It is pertinent to mention here that King Salman succeeded to the throne in 2015 and named Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, his 36-year-old son, as his successor. King Salman has also handed over authority to his son to oversee day-to-day operations. As per the AP report, Prince Mohammed has upended the monarchy with sweeping social changes, marginalised royal rivals, and cracked down on perceived opponents, stirring controversy since his ascension to power.

Image: AP