Middle East News
State media: Saudi King Abdullah "in good health" after US surgery
Dec 22, 2010, 9:16 GMT
Riyadh - Saudi King Abdullah is in good health and recuperating in his New York residence after surgery earlier this month, according to the kingdom's state-run news agency on Wednesday.
The agency said that the king will undergo physical therapy in the United States. No details were given about when the king might return to Saudi Arabia.
The king travelled to New York to receive treatment for a blood clot on the spine and a herniated disc after he suffered from back problems, Saudi media had reported.
In his absence Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul-Aziz, who has himself been undergoing cancer treatment for years, and spends much of his time in Morocco, manages state affairs.
King Abdullah, believed to be 86-years-old, became king in 2005, but has been running Saudi affairs since the mid-1990s when his half-brother, King Fahd, suffered a massive stroke.
Seen as a social and political reformer, Abdullah has been pushing to loosen the country's strict religious and social customs, as well as attracting investors to the kingdom.
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