It was the second time in less than a month that the Saudi government has publicly commented on his health.
Riyadh:
King Salman of Saudi Arabia has a lung infection and is undergoing a treatment program involving antibiotics, the Royal Court said on Sunday in the latest update on the aging monarch’s health.
Earlier in the day, the court said King Salman was suffering from a “high temperature” and joint pain and would undergo medical examinations at Al-Salam Palace in Jeddah.
It was the second time in less than a month that the Saudi government has publicly commented on the 88-year-old king’s health.
Sunday’s tests “discovered that there was a lung infection,” and doctors decided on “a treatment program consisting of antibiotics until the inflammation subsides,” according to the latest royal statement published by the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
King Salman has been on the throne since 2015, although his son, Mohammed bin Salman, 38, was named crown prince in 2017 and serves as day-to-day ruler.
Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest exporter of crude oil, has for years sought to quell speculation about King Salman’s health.
The monarch’s health is rarely discussed, but the Royal Court revealed in April that he had been admitted to King Faisal Specialist Hospital for “routine checks”. He left the hospital later that day.
Before that, his most recent hospitalization was in May 2022, when he went for a colonoscopy and stayed just over a week for other tests and “some time to rest”, the SPA reported at the time.
In 2017, Riyadh rejected growing reports and speculation that the king planned to abdicate in favor of Prince Mohammed.
King Salman underwent surgery to remove his gallbladder in 2020.
He was also admitted to hospital in March 2022 to undergo what state media described as “successful medical examinations” and to have the battery in his pacemaker changed.
King Salman served as governor of Riyadh for decades and also as defense minister.
His reign as king has been marked by ambitious social and economic reforms, largely managed by his son, who is trying to position Saudi Arabia for an eventual post-oil future.
Prince Mohammed also oversaw an intense crackdown on dissent that analysts say helped him consolidate power.
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