Saudi King Abdullah dies

#عاجل_واس
الديوان الملكي ينعي الأمة الإسلامية والعربية بوفاة خادم الحرمين الشريفين الملك عبدالله بن عبدالعزيز آل سعود- رحم الله فقيد الأمة

— واس (@spagov) January 22, 2015

The Saudi Press Agency confirmed on Twitter that King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia has died. According to the Associated Press, Abdullah was 90.

Abdullah ruled Saudi Arabia for a decade before officially becoming King in 2006. Then-King Fahn suffered a debilitating stroke and was unable to lead.

King Abdullah’s brother, Crown Prince Salman has taken the throne. Salman was the crown prince and defense minister since 2012. In the five decades prior to that, he was the governor of Riyadh. He is thought to be 79.

Salman’s appointment as king is still pending the approval of a family Allegiance Council, but the move was made immediately in order to avoid the presumed speculation about royal succession for the world’s largest exporter of oil.