Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz died overnight Thursday in hospital, state TV reported. Before the announcement, reported the BBC , Saudi television cut to Koranic verses, which often signifies the death of a senior royal. King Abdullah, who was said to be aged about 90, had been in hospital for several weeks suffering from a lung infection. The king came to the throne in 2005 but had suffered frequent bouts of ill health in recent years, including being declared "clinically dead" in 2012 . In the context of the kingdom's conservative circles, noted CNN , King Abdullah was seen as a reformer and often came up against more hard-line clerics. Abdullah’s brother, Salman , is now the king of Saudi Arabia, having become the heir apparent after the previous heir apparent, Crown Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, died in 2012 . King Salman has called on the family's Allegiance Council to pay allegiance to Muqrin as his crown prince and heir, according to Reuters .
