Abdullah is Saudi Arabia's new king

Following the announcement of the death of King Fahd Bin Abdul Aziz, the Saudi royal court on Monday issued a statement in which it said that members of the Royal family appointed crow prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz as a King. In addition, minister of defense, aviation and general inspector, Prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz was appointed as a crown prince.

Saudis will express their support to the nomination of King Abdullah and his crown prince at the al-Hokm palace, tomorrow in Riyadh.

In his first step as king, King Abdullah issued a royal decree in which he confirmed that all members of the government will remain in their posts. The Royal order read "all current members of the cabinet will stay in their posts under our chairmanship." Diplomats said that they do not expect great change in the Saudi foreign ministry under the leadership of King Abdullah who is known for his Arab commitment.

A Saudi source stressed that the kingdom will not change its oil policy after the death of King Fahd.