King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, Saudi Arabia’s ruler since 2005, has died aged 91, state television announced on Friday morning local time.
A cautious reformer whose ascendancy to the throne helped restore some popular legitimacy to the al-Saud family, he steered the world’s largest oil exporter through some of its most fraught times.
After Saudi nationals in al-Qaeda carried out the September 11 attacks on the US, he confronted a crisis in relations with Washington, a crucial ally and the main guarantor of the country’s security. Al-Qaeda turned its sights on the al-Saud, killing dozens of civilians and foreigners in Saudi cities, but under Abdullah’s leadership the group was defeated inside the kingdom.
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