Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz
DUBAI, May 19 (Reuters) – Saudi King Salman will receive treatment at Al Salam Palace in Jeddah for a lung inflammation, according to the state news agency on Sunday, following medical tests earlier in the day.
The state news agency, citing the royal court, reported that the 88-year-old king would be treated with antibiotics until the inflammation subsides. Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz
Due to King Salman’s health condition, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the de facto Saudi leader, has postponed a visit to Japan that was scheduled to begin on Monday, Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi announced.
“Saudi Arabia informed the Japanese government that due to the health condition of King Salman, Crown Prince Mohammed’s visit to Japan, which had been scheduled to begin on the 20th, had to be postponed,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said at a news conference in Tokyo.
Earlier on Sunday, King Salman underwent medical tests at the royal clinics at Al Salam Palace due to “high temperature and joint pain,” according to the Saudi state news agency.
Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz
The king was last admitted to the hospital in April for a routine checkup, state TV reported at the time.
King Salman, the custodian of Islam’s holiest sites, became the ruler of the world’s top oil exporter in 2015 after spending more than 2-1/2 years as the crown prince and deputy premier.
His illness coincided with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s meeting with U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan in the kingdom for discussions on a strategic agreement between Washington and Riyadh.
Saudi Arabia’s embassy in Japan did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the crown prince’s postponed trip. He had been scheduled to meet with Japanese Emperor Naruhito and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during the visit from May 20-23.
Coming soon: Get the latest news and expert analysis about the state of the global economy with Reuters Econ World. Sign up here.
Reporting by Jana Choukeir, Ahmed Tolba, and Hatem Maher; Additional reporting by Kaori Kaneko and Kantaro Komiya in Tokyo; Editing by William Mallard, Leslie Adler, and Sonali Paul.