New Saudi King expected to push reforms

King Abdullah has taken the throne in a swift and smooth succession for this US ally and oil giant after the death of his long-ailing half brother. Abdullah, the de facto ruler for a decade, is expected to consolidate his power and could open the door for younger, more modern princes to play a role in government.

King Fahd, the country’s absolute monarch since 1982 until he was debilitated by a 1995 stroke, died early yesterday at the age of 84 after nearly two months in a Riyadh hospital.