Saudi Arabia's King Fahd, a victim of ill health for years, died early Monday in Riyadh at the age of 82.
The Saudi royal court announced the king's death and said Crown Prince Abdullah, King Fahd's brother, has assumed the throne. He has been Saudi Arabia's de-facto ruler since King Fahd suffered a stroke 10 years ago.
The court also announced that King Abdullah has selected Prince Sultan Ibn Abdelaziz, the kingdom's defense minister, as his crown prince.
The monarch died at the King Faisal Specialized Hospital in Riyadh, where he was taken more than two months ago for unspecified medical tests.
Secretary general of the Arab League Amr Moussa has ordered three days of mourning throughout the Arab world for the late king, who had been on the throne for 23 years. Among his royal titles King Fahd was Custodian of the Two Muslim Holy Shrines (Mecca and Medina).
Saudi Arabia is the world's largest producer of oil. Government officials say the monarch's death will not affect long-standing Saudi policies aimed at ensuring stability in oil markets worldwide.
Some information for this report provided by Reuters and AP.
