The new Saudi monarch Salman bin Abdulaziz addressed the nation on Friday, mourning his half-brother, the late King Abdullah. He called on the people to stick together and confirmed that he would follow in his predecessor's footsteps. After the funeral, on Friday night, Salman will be sworn in as the 7th King of Saudi Arabia, at an official ceremony in Al Hakam Palace in Riyadh. The first decision he made as King, was to confirm Deputy Crown Prince Muqrin as his own Crown Prince and heir, and Prince Mohamed Bin Nayef as Deputy Crown Prince. Salman was born on December 31, 1935. He is the 25th son of King Abdulaziz bin Saud. He studied religious and modern sciences and Quran at the Princes' School in Riyadh, founded by King Abdulaziz to educate his sons. The new king was appointed governor of Riyadh province in 1954, at the age of only 20. People regard him as the champion of desert city renovation, because he turned Riyadh into a modern and powerful province during his term as governor. Salman served as Defense Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia in 2011, and was officially named Crown Prince in June 2012, following the death of the previous heir, Nayef. He has visited several western countries to promote closer ties with them. He took control of the Kingdom when Abdullah's ill-health forced him out of the limelight. Royal Family sources have expressed concern over his health since he has had a stroke and is believed to be suffering from Alzheimer's. The oil-rich country announced the death of its monarch Abdullah bin Abdulaziz at the age of 92, in the early hours of Friday. Most of the Arab countries have declared state of mourning over the King's death.
