RIYADH: Saudi Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz died on Saturday, the palace announced, leaving his brother Prince Nayef the likely successor to the ailing King Abdullah at a time of turmoil in the Middle East.
The crown prince, aged 80 according to government records, served as the oil kingdom’s defence minister for nearly five decades but had been in the United States since mid-June for medical treatment. He was operated on in July.
A half-brother of King Abdullah, Sultan spent long periods abroad for undisclosed medical treatment.
A Western diplomat, who asked not to be identified, said Prince Sultan had been hooked up to a life support system at the New York Presbyterian hospital and was declared “clinically dead” over a month ago.
Pakistan announces mourning
Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani announced a three-day national mourning as a token of respect to the Saudi Crown Prince. The premier said that Prince Sultan would always be remembered “as a dear friend and brother.”
Condolences flooded into the kingdom from world leaders as news of the prince’s death was confirmed.
US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, on a trip to Tajikistan, said the prince would be “missed”, stressing Washington’s enduring ties with the oil-rich Gulf state.
“I offer my deepest condolences for this loss to King Abdullah and the Saudi people,” she said. “He will be missed.”
In Jordan, King Abdullah II opened the World Economic Forum in the country’s Dead Sea resort town with a minute of silence in the late prince’s honour, hailing him as a “champion of the Arab and Muslim cause”. Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron said he was “saddened” to hear of Sultan’s death.
“He had many friends in this country, and we have all benefited from his wisdom and expertise in international affairs over his long years of service,” the prime minister said.
Syrian President Bashar al Assad, despite strains in ties with Riyadh over his security forces’ deadly crackdown on anti-regime protests, also sent condolences.
He “sent a message of condolences to Saudi King Abdullah over the death of his brother and crown prince, in which he expressed in the name of the Syrian people sincere condolences and sympathy”, Syria’s state news agency Sana reported.
Oil giant’s future in limbo
On Saturday, Prince Sultan’s elder brother King Abdullah left hospital after back surgery and will continue treatment at a royal clinic, the Royal Court said in a statement carried by the official SPA news agency.
The announcement came after King Abdullah’s younger brother Crown Prince Sultan died of cancer in New York earlier on Saturday.
King Abdullah, who is in his late 80s, had a successful operation to tighten the ligaments around his third vertebra on Monday.
Prince Nayef, who becomes crown prince on the death of Prince Sultan, is 78. Another half-brother of King Abdullah, he holds the interior portfolio.
Crown prince’s funeral
Prince Sultan’s funeral will be held on Tuesday after his body has been repatriated from the United States.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 23rd, 2011.
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Innalil lahi wa'inna ilayhi raji'un. To Allah we belong and to him we shall return. May his gentle soul rest in peace. Ameen
May his soul rest in Peace… Ameen.
So one by one all the friends of Pakistan are leaving.
I remember when we stacked the whole Pakistan International School Riyadh with goods donated by the saudi public for Earth Quake victims, and PIA was over stretched to picka all the goods to Pakistan. Prince Sultan dedicated his personal plane to carry good sfrom Riyadh airport to Karachi each day for a month on his personal expense. Each sorty flight costed around 2.5 Crore Rupees
We would fill the plane and it will shoot to Pakistan and come back empty to be filled the next day to fly again.
We will miss you Prince Sultan and your services. You were a friend to Pakistani poeple and your charity work speaks for your good deeds.
Rest in peace
اللهم اغفر لعبدك سلطان وتجاوز عنه وافسح له في قبرة واجعله روضة من رياض جنانك يارحمن يارحيم. أنا لله وانا اليه راجعون
Most powerful group within al-Saud is thought to comprise the sons born to Ibn Saud by his favourite wife Hassa bint Ahmed al-Sudairi: the so-called "Sudairi Seven". Late King Fahd, Crown Prince Sultan (died today) and Prince Nayef and Prince Salman (Riyadh's Governor) are among the seven. Unlike in European monarchies, the line of royal succession does not move directly from father to eldest son, but has passed down a line of brothers born to the kingdom's founder King Abdulaziz Ibn Saud, who died in 1953. So far five brothers have become kings and around 20 are still alive, but only a few of those are thought realistic candidates to rule the country. The power struggle has already begun and the chaos is expected in the kingdom.
A sad news for the Royal Family...
May his soul rest in peace... ameen.
Sad News! Inna Lillah e Wa inna Elaih e Rajioon.