Middle East News
Saudi King Abdullah to retun home Wednesday
Feb 22, 2011, 15:30 GMT
Riyadh - Saudi Arabian King Abdullah will return to the kingdom on Wednesday, the Saudi Press Agency reported, after a three-month absence for medical treatment.
Flags and banners were put on the streets of the capital Riyadh showing a picture of Abdullah slogans such as 'Riyadh shines with your return.'
Saturday has been declared a public holiday to celebrate his return.
The Saudi monarch travelled to the United States for an operation to his back in New York in November after he was diagnosed with a blood clot on the spine and a herniated disc. He then had a second operation to repair several vertebrae and travelled to Morocco to recuperated.
His return comes amid political unrest across the region, which has reached Bahrain. The king, believed to be 87 years old, became king in 2005.
His health problems have raised concerns about who will succeed him, the world's biggest oil exporter.
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.
However, there is growing public discontent over unemployment.
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