RIYADH — Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah temporarily needed help to breathe through a tube on Friday due to a lung infection but the procedure was successful and his condition is now stable, a Royal Court statement said. “After the necessary medical tests by the medical team, it became apparent that there was a lung infection that required the insertion of a tube to aid with breathing on a temporary basis this evening,” the Saudi Press Agency said citing the statement. The Royal Court said the statement has been issued in line with the King's policy of maintaining transparency in all public matters. King Abdullah was admitted to the King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh on Wednesday for checks. Examination “revealed lung infection, which required the provisional insertion of a tube on Friday evening,” a statement said. “Thanks be to God, that step was crowned with stability and success,” the statement added. The Saudi stock market dropped by about five percent at one point following the Royal Court's announcement that the King had been hospitalized, before clawing back some of its losses to finish 1.8 percent lower on Wednesday. The market was closed for the weekend on Friday. The King underwent two operations in October 2011 and November 2012 to correct “ligament slackening” in the upper back. Crown Prince Salman Bin Abdulaziz, deputy premier and minister of defense; Deputy Crown Prince and Second Deputy Premier Prince Muqrin Bin Abdulaziz, several other princes, ministers, senior officials, foreign dignitaries and groups of citizens visited King Abdulaziz Medical City on Friday to inquire about the health of King Abdullah. They prayed to Almighty Allah for the King's good health and speedy recovery. They were received by Minister of National Guard Prince Miteb Bin Abdullah, Deputy Foreign Minister Prince Abdulaziz Bin Abdullah, Makkah Emir Prince Mishal Bin Abdullah, Riyadh Emir Turki Bin Abdullah and other sons of the King. Those who visited the hospital also included Sheikh Khaled Bin Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa, son of Bahrain's king, and Saad Hariri, former prime minister of Lebanon. The sons of the King thanked all of them for their keenness on the health of the King.
