Thousands of tearful mourners descended on Al-Yamamah Palace on Saturday to offer condolences to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman following the death of King Abdullah on Friday.
Islamic scholars, tribal chiefs and officials also pledged allegiance to King Salman in the ceremony seen as a public endorsement of the new king.
After pledging his allegiance, Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Asheikh said: “On this blessed day, we pledge allegiance to King Salman as the legitimate king, Prince Muqrin as crown prince, Prince Mohammed bin Naif as deputy crown prince.” He added: “Dear brothers and sisters, we must maintain security and stability in the Kingdom.”
He offered King Salman religious advice, praying to God to support him and grant him patience. The royal court will also hold a condolence ceremony on Sunday night.
Speaking to Arab News, Amin Al-Jaafri, deputy speaker of the Shoura Council, said: “We have lost a wise leader (King Abdullah), who dedicated his life and efforts to serve his nation, and he remained the guardian of security and stability in the country as well as in the region.”
Al-Jaafri added: “He played a major role in strengthening solidarity among Arab countries and he was the ardent promoter of interfaith dialogue and peace in the region. He also rejected violence and extremism that affected peaceful coexistence.”
Owaidah A. Awaji, a faculty member of King Saud University, said: Such a huge presence of mourners today indicates that what matters for average citizen is not the international relations, but the present and the future of the Saudi generation.”
Awaji added: “More than a century has passed since Saudi Arabia’s unification, and the Kingdom today is standing strong while many neighboring countries are experiencing upheavals.”
He said the business would be as usual on Sunday. “There is no specified mourning period as per Shariah, which prohibits ostentatious displays of grief or mourning, akin to idolatry.”
Commenting on the new king, Bruce Riedel, senior fellow and director of the Brookings Intelligence Project, said: “King Salman presided over the remarkable transformation with a record for good governance and a lack of corruption since he was appointed as governor of Riyadh region.”
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