RIYADH: King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, left Monday for the United States for treatment on a slipped disc. Prior to his departure, the King issued a Royal Decree delegating his responsibilities to Crown Prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz, Deputy Premier, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General. Prince Sultan returned from Morocco Sunday night. King Abdullah was seen off at the airport by Crown Prince Sultan and several other senior Princes and officials. Also Monday, King Abdullah swore in his son Prince Mit'eb Bin Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz as Minister of State, Member of the Council of Ministers, and Commander of the National Guard, at the Royal Palace in the presence of a number of princes and senior officials. (Picture on Page2) The King congratulated Prince Mit'eb on the occasion, wishing him “every success in the service of his religion and homeland”, while the Prince spoke of his “gratitude and appreciation for the royal confidence in me”, and prayed to Almighty Allah to “bestow good health and recovery upon the King”. Sandhurst-educated Prince Mit'eb, 57, is a long-term member of the National Guard and was appointed Deputy Commander in June 2009. The King was diagnosed with a herniated disc on Nov. 12, and subsequently asked Prince Naif, Second Deputy Premier, Minister of Interior and Chairman of the Supreme Haj Committee, to supervise this year's Haj pilgrimage. A spokesman for Abdullah Al-Rabeah, Minister of Health, said the King's condition was “painful but treatable”, describing it as a “lumbar spine disc prolapse complicated by a hematoma pressing on lower nerve roots and causing pain”. Speaking on Saudi television Sunday night, Al-Rabeah said the King's medical team had advised treatment at a center specializing in spinal cord conditions. Crown Prince Sultan returned Sunday night from a three-month holiday in Morocco, according to the Saudi Press Agency. The agency did not say when King Abdullah was expected to return.
