By Clyde Hughes |
July 20 (UPI) — Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud has hospitalized for tests due to a gallbladder inflammation, officials said Monday.
Government officials said he was taken to King Faisal Specialist Hospital in Riyadh, where doctors treated him for cholecystitis.
The 84-year-old king, who has ruled Saudi Arabia for five years, went to the hospital for a battery of medical checks, the state-run Saudi Press Agency reported.
King Salman was the Saudi crown prince and deputy prime minister between 2012 and 2015 before occupying the throne. Before that, he was governor of the Riyadh region for more than a half-century.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi postponed a planned trip to Saudi Arabia, where he was to meet with the king and his son, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The meetings were expected to focus on energy development and other infrastructure projects.
“In recognition of the importance of the visit and keenness to make it a success, our wise leadership in coordination with our brothers in Iraq decided to postpone the visit until after King Salman leaves the hospital,” Saudi foreign minister Faisal bin Farhan tweeted.
U.S. President Donald Trump has not yet met with King Salman in Washington, D.C., but he did invite the crown prince in 2018. The king visited former President Barack Obama at the White House in 2015.
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