King Fahd in hospital
2005-05-27 21:01
Riyadh - Saudi Arabia's ailing King Fahd was hospitalised on Friday for medical examinations, the royal palace said in a statement carried by the official news agency SPA.
"The custodian of the two holy mosques, King Fahd bin Abdul Aziz, on Friday evening entered King Faisal hospital in Riyadh ... for medical examinations," the palace said, without giving details.
The king, believed to be aged 84, rose to the throne in 1982. He has been in ailing health since 1995, since when Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz has been the oil-rich country's de facto ruler.
Rumours of a sudden decline in his health, circulated by mobile phone, sent Saudi stocks plummeting almost five percent on Wednesday.
The turning point in Fahd's life came when he suffered a stroke on November 29 1995.
Walking first with the help of a cane because of circulatory problems and diabetes, the king took to wearing sunglasses to protect his eyes. He underwent several further operations and was soon confined to a wheelchair.
- AFP