Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah, 90, has died. He was a U.S. ally and reformer; journalist Fareed Zakaria called him “probably the most progressive and liberal minded king of Saudi Arabia since King Faisal.”
Crown Prince Salman has been appointed king. Prior to ascending the throne, he held key positions in Saudi Arabia’s government as deputy prime minister and defense minister; and he is a former governor of Riyadh Province, where he oversaw the development of Riyadh from a “mid-sized town to a major urban metropolis,” according to Wikipedia. He is considered an economic but not political reformer, and is known for his diplomatic skills.
I suspect the biggest change for most people will be that doing Google searches on Saudi Arabia will bring up a lot of links to pictures of fish from now on, along with little messages saying “did you mean king salmon?”
Photos (top to bottom): King Abdullah, King Salman, King Salmon
