SAUDI ARABIA: Saudi Arabia's King Fahd has been laid to rest in an austere burial ceremony held in accordance with the kingdom's Islamic Wahabi tradition and amid tight security.
Abdullah bin Abdelaziz (80), who has succeeded his half-brother as ruler of the world's largest oil exporter, yesterday led the crowds of Saudis and Muslim dignitaries praying for Fahd's soul at the Imam Turki mosque in Riyadh.
According to Wahabi tradition, Fahd's burial was not a state funeral and no official mourning was declared in Saudi Arabia, although many Arab countries called for long periods of grief.
Across the deeply conservative kingdom, there was no apparent outpouring of emotion, also in line with religious practice that accepts God's will unconditionally. Shops, restaurants and offices remained open and some were full on Monday evening.
The only sign of mourning was the interruption of regular programming on Saudi state television, which covered the funeral and looked back at the king's reign and achievements.
Fahd, who ruled for 23 years, died aged 83 in a Riyadh hospital. He had been in poor health for at least a decade and had passed the day-to-day running of the government to Abdullah 10 years ago.
The smooth transition on Monday, which also saw the powerful Prince Sultan, the defence minister, become the new crown prince, reinforced official pronouncements that foreign and domestic policy would be marked by continuity rather than radical change.
The funeral took place under heavy security as Saudi Arabia continues to confront al-Qaeda-linked militants, who have waged a wave of attacks on foreign and domestic targets on Saudi soil.
Prayers at the mosque were attended by hundred of princes from the house of Saud as well as leaders from the Arab and Muslim world. Women were not allowed to participate.
Western leaders, including French president Jacques Chirac and Britain's Prince Charles, were due to offer their condolences to Abdullah at the royal court later in the day. The US was expected to send a high-level delegation that would not, however, include President George Bush.
Fahd was buried in a grave marked only by a stone and no inscription, alongside those of ordinary citizens and past kings.
The unpretentious burial contrasted with the ostentatious lifestyle led by many members of the royal family.
Fahd is credited with the oil-driven modernisation of the kingdom and with promoting women's education. He also cemented Saudi Arabia's role as a regional powerhouse, yet he was also criticised for allowing corruption to run unchecked, undermining the popularity of the royal family.
His reliance on the clerical establishment to maintain the royal family's legitimacy also backfired in the last decade amid growing radicalisation within Saudi society.