# Saudi King Abdullah dead at 90 **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 22, 2015, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saudi-king-abdullah-dead-at-90/710633 "2015-01-22T23:44:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saudi-king-abdullah-dead-at-90/710633/1 "2015-01-22T23:44:50Z")
…according to [state television](http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/saudi-king-abdullah-dies-brother-salman-takes-over-1.2928814). ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saudi-king-abdullah-dead-at-90/710633/2 "2015-01-23T00:02:02Z")
The new king is Abdullah’s half-brother Salman. Succession in SA apparently is to the old king’s senior near relation, not to his son. That’s a recipe for permanent gerontocracy. ---
**Author:** ![Twoflower](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/twoflower/32/22_2.png) [@Twoflower](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Twoflower)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saudi-king-abdullah-dead-at-90/710633/3 "2015-01-23T00:34:17Z")
King Salman? Sounds pretty fishy … ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saudi-king-abdullah-dead-at-90/710633/4 "2015-01-23T00:38:25Z")
Let’s not rushdie to judgment here… ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saudi-king-abdullah-dead-at-90/710633/5 "2015-01-23T00:41:39Z")
I saudi what you did there. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saudi-king-abdullah-dead-at-90/710633/6 "2015-01-23T00:44:13Z")
You guys arabian me the wrong way with all your puns. ---
**Author:** ![crucible](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@crucible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crucible)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saudi-king-abdullah-dead-at-90/710633/7 "2015-01-23T00:44:38Z")
the new King is the father of the Arab World’s only astronaut. When a new King is crowned, a new Crown Prince also is installed. It would not seem that the new King has complete control of his succession. Salman, it is said, is his father’s 22nd son, so I think it unlikely that there is a genetic succession scheme always in place. Meritocracy? Anyone know for sure? ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saudi-king-abdullah-dead-at-90/710633/8 "2015-01-23T00:50:12Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > The new king is Abdullah’s half-brother Salman. Succession in SA apparently is to the old king’s senior near relation, not to his son. > > That’s a recipe for permanent gerontocracy. No, not quite. Since 2006 it has become a consensus decision by a small senior council of royal princes who vet and vote on who should become the designated successor as crown prince. It still loosely follows hereditary principles, but it basically an internal family election from and by a small pool of candidates. ETA: Here’s a [wiki](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Succession_to_the_Saudi_Arabian_throne) on the topic. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saudi-king-abdullah-dead-at-90/710633/9 "2015-01-23T01:21:14Z")
Note that he’s quite old at 79, [and not too healthy](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salman_of_Saudi_Arabia#Health). > [@](#): > > In August 2010, King Salman underwent spine surgery in the United States and remained out of the kingdom for recovery. He had one stroke and despite physiotherapy, his left arm does not work as well as his right. After his appointment as Crown Prince various analysts including Simon Henderson argued that he is suffering from dementia. In addition, he is believed to be suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. Prince Muqrin bin Abdulaziz is the [next in the succession](http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-03-27/saudi-arabia-appoints-prince-muqrin-as-second-crown-prince.html), and “only” 69. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saudi-king-abdullah-dead-at-90/710633/10 "2015-01-23T01:25:37Z")
So for those of us who are not up on Saudi politics, what exactly does the King do and what doesn’t he do in terms of ruling the country? ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saudi-king-abdullah-dead-at-90/710633/11 "2015-01-23T05:40:31Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > So for those of us who are not up on Saudi politics, what exactly does the King do and what doesn’t he do in terms of ruling the country? The King does pretty much whatever he wants. He makes laws, he appoints and dismisses ministers and judges, he decides on the budget. he appoints a legislature that can recommend laws to him. That all being said, that while in theory the King has absolute power, in practice, the kings of Saudi Arabia generally try for consensus in the royal family and ulema before they act. If the House of Saud or ulema as a whole are opposed to something, the King generally defers. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saudi-king-abdullah-dead-at-90/710633/12 "2015-01-23T06:07:47Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > So for those of us who are not up on Saudi politics, what exactly does the King do and what doesn’t he do in terms of ruling the country? On paper, he’s an absolute Monarch. In reality, decisions are made via the fairly opaque internal politics of the (huge) ruling family and to a lesser extent, by a second family that dominates the countries religious council. Figuring out what the family factions are and whose pulling for what policies is basically a guessing game, similar to “Kreminology” during the Cold War. Presumably, that’s part of the reason for passing the throne to elderly, not necessarily healthy princes. A young active monarch might live long enough to consolidate power at the expense of the rest of the family. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saudi-king-abdullah-dead-at-90/710633/13 "2015-01-23T07:00:55Z")
If you want to say they wish to avoid another Faisal, just say it. ---
**Author:** ![JustinC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justinc/32/8083_2.png) [@JustinC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JustinC)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saudi-king-abdullah-dead-at-90/710633/14 "2015-01-23T08:06:37Z")
A lot of stuff will be done in his name; still not allowing women to drive, accepting Saudi women into standing in elections, getting rid of or promoting influential clerics, supporting Palestine, asking the US to go against Iran, building lots of schools and universities for Saudi’s young (half of the population are under 25), supporting those against the Syrian leader, building a multi-billion dollar subway in Riyadh, and he was the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques in Mecca and Medina. So it’s a lot King, some ‘Papal’ as well, with a bit of Prime Minister thrown in. ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saudi-king-abdullah-dead-at-90/710633/15 "2015-01-23T15:05:21Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > You guys arabian me the wrong way with all your puns. So, will the new king try to thawb the relationship between his country and Iran? ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saudi-king-abdullah-dead-at-90/710633/16 "2015-01-23T17:27:58Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > If you want to say they wish to avoid another Faisal, just say it. Who’s Faisal and what did he do that was so wrong? ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saudi-king-abdullah-dead-at-90/710633/17 "2015-01-23T17:35:43Z")
The Saudi king from 1964 to 1975, when he was murdered by one of his nephews. So liberal he was almost an anarchist, compared with some of his relatives. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saudi-king-abdullah-dead-at-90/710633/18 "2015-01-23T18:04:12Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > The Saudi king from 1964 to 1975, when he was murdered by one of his nephews. So liberal he was almost an anarchist, **compared with some of his relatives**. This clause is key. The most liberal thing he did was abolish slavery. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saudi-king-abdullah-dead-at-90/710633/19 "2015-01-23T18:25:15Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > The Saudi king from 1964 to 1975, when he was murdered by one of his nephews. So liberal he was almost an anarchist, compared with some of his relatives. A bit too liberal for the Americans as well, they were glad to see the back of him. As it was, it was not his (not particularly) liberal views that they disliked, but his policies and governance style, he preferred to rely on professional advisors as opposed to family and tended to appoint non Sauds to positions of power. [QUOTE=Peremensoe] The most liberal thing he did was abolish slavery. [/QUOTE] No. Slavery was abolished before he became King (1962 v 1964). He was a moderniser more than anything, he is pretty much responsible for creating the modern structure of the state, and for undertaking development projects, encouraging industry and creating higher educational institutes, including women’s education. After him, they have had a pious recluse (Khalid), a party boy (Fahd) and a thorough establishment figure (Abdullah). ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saudi-king-abdullah-dead-at-90/710633/20 "2015-01-23T18:54:22Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > Slavery was abolished before he became King (1962 v 1964). Perhaps I misremember. If the paper abolition preceded him, did he not have a role in actually carrying it out? > [@AK84](#): > > He was a moderniser more than anything, he is pretty much responsible for creating the modern structure of the state, and for undertaking development projects, encouraging industry and creating higher educational institutes, including women’s education. None of which is really “liberal,” except women’s education, which is what I am hearing Abdullah being praised for right now. Because women in Saudi Arabia have such opportunity these days. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saudi-king-abdullah-dead-at-90/710633.md?page=2)