Will Saudi Arabia's King Salman abdicate this week?

According to multiple sources in the Middle East, the 81-year-old King of Saudi Arabia will abdicate to his son, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, this weekend.

Sputnik news agency quoted a source from the Middle East as saying that Saudi Arabia's King Salman, 81 years old, may abdicate in favor of his son, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, 32 years old, this weekend.

Earlier on November 8, several Iranian TV channels also cited sources from Rai al-Youm, one of the Arabic news sites, saying that it was likely thatKing Salman abdicatesand abdicate the throne Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will soon ascend the throne in the near future.

King Salman is likely to abdicate to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman this weekend. Photo: King Salma, the seventh king of the Gulf nation. Photo source: Sputnik.

This is not the first time information has appeared that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will succeed King Salman, when earlier this month Saudi Arabia's Al-Arabiya TV channel also posted this information on Twitter, but the post was later deleted.

Currently, all information related to the above speculation has not been confirmed. Meanwhile, Riyadh has not made any statement on this issue.

According to Iranian media, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's succession to King Salman will mark a change in the order of succession over the past 60 years, when all previous kings of Saudi Arabia were children of King Abdul Aziz, the first king of the Saud royal family since the early 1930s until now.

Rumors of King Salman's abdication began to emerge in late June this year, after he deposed his nephew Crown Prince Muhammad bin Nayef and installed Prince Mohammed bin Salman as crown prince.

With the current political turmoil in Saudi Arabia, it is easy to see that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is consolidating his power in Riyadh. Photo source: Sputnik.

In September, Lebanese media outlet al-Manar quoted a source close to the Saudi royal family as saying that King Salman may soon abdicate due to health problems. And soon after taking office, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has gradually become prominent in Saudi Arabia with his reformist policies.

Also this month, more than 40 members of the Saudi royal family were arrested on orders from the Saudi Anti-Corruption Committee headed by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Among the arrested royal family members were Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, considered the richest man in the Middle East, along with ministers and senior generals in the Saudi government.

According to Kienthuc.net.vn