November 11, 2008. Copyright 2008, Graphic News. All rights reserved

King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud: A reformer with religious zeal
By Joanna Griffin

LONDON, November 11, Graphic News:  King Abdullah bin Aziz Al-Saud is known for his earnest approach to religion. So much so that the Saudi monarch is said to dislike being addressed as "Your Majesty", preferring his title as "Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques (Mecca and Medina)".

It was in his capacity as a Muslim leader that King Abdullah called a groundbreaking inter-faith summit in 2008, and also in which he is seen as the new hope for regional peace, after the revival of a Saudi initiative that sees Israel gain recognition from Arab states in return for its withdrawal from lands it seized in the 1967 Middle East war.

At the same time, observers point out that it is also religion that is at the heart of the socially repressive society he rules, and surely religion that checks the reforming instincts of a king who has promoted modernisation since becoming leader in 2005. They say that, despite the talk of opening up the kingdom, there is little sign that King Abdullah intends to challenge the fundamental beliefs that govern Saudi life.

Personal details are sketchy about the man who had been de facto leader since his brother King Fahd suffered a stroke in 1995. He is believed to have some 20 children with various wives. Born in 1924, he is known as a simple man devoted to the Bedouin tribal ways of the desert. It was his understanding of this way of life that, as its commander, helped him to develop the National Guard, for which he was widely praised. 

During his visit to the UK in 2006, critics claimed Saudi Arabia's vast oil reserves were one reason such a lavish welcome was extended to the leader of a country in which floggings and executions are routine. Questions have also been asked about the sincerity of his crackdown on Islamic extremism, though here he cannot win: Al-Qaeda claims it has stepped up attacks because of his perceived friendliness with the West. 
/ENDS