KABUL (Pajhwok): Accompanied by a high-level delegation, President Ashraf Ghani left for Saudi Arabia to offer his condolences to its new King Salman on Saturday, a day after the death of his half-brother King Abdullah.
Former King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz, a US ally and a cautious reformer, died early Friday aged about 90.
President Ghani left for Riyadh, the kingdom’s capital, this afternoon, a statement from the Presidential Palace said without identifying the other officials accompanying him on the trip.
The late king’s body, wrapped in a cream-coloured shroud, was borne on a simple litter by members of the royal family wearing traditional red-and-white checked headgear.
The body was quickly moved to nearby Al-Od public cemetery and buried in an unmarked grave, in keeping with tradition. Dignitaries from around the world were to arrive in Saudi Arabia on Saturday to offer their condolences.
British Prime Minister David Cameron, Prince Charles and French President Francois Hollande were among the first leaders expected while US Vice-President Joe Biden was due to visit in the coming days.
Gulf rulers and leaders including Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif were among those who attended Abdullah’s simple funeral at Riyadh’s Imam on Friday.
Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas and Malaysia’s Prime Minister Najib Razak arrived later to deliver condolences.
In the evening, hundreds of Saudis queued to enter a royal palace where they rubbed cheeks and kissed the hands of their new leaders, in a symbolic pledge of allegiance.
Officials did not disclose the cause of Abdullah’s death, but the long-ailing ruler had been hospitalised in December with pneumonia.
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