Saudi seeks to calm jitters
2005-05-28 21:16
Riyadh - King Fahd, the ruler of oil powerhouse Saudi Arabia, remained in hospital on Saturday with a lung infection as worries about his health sent crude prices higher and the authorities insisted there was no cause for concern.
"His condition is stable... The results of medical tests make us reassured," Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal told reporters.
It was the first official reference to the outcome of the examinations conducted after Fahd was transferred to the King Faisal Specialist Hospital on Friday evening.
The monarch, believed to be 84, has been frail since suffering a stroke a decade ago and has delegated the running of day-to-day affairs to his half-brother, Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz.
Prince Saud did not give details, but official sources earlier told AFP King Fahd had a lung infection.
Abdullah, who is expected to eventually succeed Fahd, has long represented Riyadh at such meetings and in talks with world leaders, visiting US President George W Bush at his Texas ranch last month for the second time in three years.
The foreign minister's remarks were in line with previous official statements reporting that Fahd was in good shape after being admitted to hospital for medical tests.
Officials also dismissed reports that a state of alert has been declared in the vast kingdom, which has been battling a wave of violence by suspected al-Qaeda militants for the past two years.
"We have a law of governance. There is a crown prince, and if you ask any Saudi who will be the next king, he will answer you," a senior Saudi official said on condition of anonymity, referring to a document promulgated by Fahd in 1992.