The new king is an austere, respected and experienced figure, who has spearheaded a cautious reform programme and the crackdown against al-Qaeda in the country. As Crown Prince, he had been de facto ruler since 1995, when King Fahd suffered a stroke.

State-run television interrupted usual programming for the announcement of the death of King Fahd. He was thought to have been 83 and had been wheelchair-bound in recent years.

Iyad bin Amin Madani, the Saudi Information Minister, said: “With all sorrow and sadness, the Royal Court in the name of His Highness Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz and all members of the family announces the death of the custodian of the two holy mosques, King Fahd bin Abdul Aziz.

“He died after suffering an illness . . . God allows the custodian of the two holy mosques, King Fahd, with great mercy and forgiveness, to reside in his wide heaven.”

The broadcast was followed by readings from the Koran.

The transition was fortuitously timed. The country is flush with oil money and the threat from al-Qaeda-linked militants, who began a violent campaign within the kingdom two years ago, has receded after draconian security measures.

Nevertheless, Saudi Arabia is expected to have a succession of kings over the next decade as the ageing sons of King Abdul Aziz ibn Saud, the founder of the modern kingdom, accede to the throne.

There will be no mourning period in Saudi Arabia, in line with strict Wahhabi Muslim tradition that unquestioningly accepts God’s will.

King Fahd ascended to the throne at the height of Saudi Arabia’s petrodollar oil boom in 1982 and steered the world’s leading oil exporting country through three regional wars and, in his final years, al-Qaeda militancy.

During his 23-year rule, he is rumoured to have amassed a personal fortune of between $18 billion and $30 billion.

He had a reputation as a playboy in his youth. His lifestyle changed when he assumed ministerial power in the 1950s and he became involved in international diplomacy. He oversaw the peace process that ended the 15-year civil war in Lebanon and drew up a peace plan for the Middle East that was first drafted in 1981 and revived three years ago.

Condolences and tributes poured in from around the world before the funeral, to be held this afternoon at the Imam Turki bin Abdullah mosque in Riyadh.

A British delegation led by the Prince of Wales, a frequent visitor to Saudi Arabia, is due to fly to Riyadh later in the week to pay condolences. He is likely to be accompanied by Tony Blair and Jack Straw, the Foreign Secretary.

Under King Fahd, Saudi Arabia had become the West’s main military ally in the Gulf and had long pursued a policy of moderate oil prices.

“I cannot imagine there will be any particular change in that (foreign) policy undertaken by the late King Fahd,” Prince Turki Al Faisal, the outgoing Saudi Ambassador to Britain, said.

King Abdullah is regarded as a strong leader at home, where he has a secure power base. He is a personal friend of President Bush and recently stayed with the American leader at his ranch in Crawford, Texas. Yet King Abdullah’s closeness to Washington has been balanced by his readiness to criticise American policies.

“He has very good links with the people and the tribes and is a cautious reformer. Don’t expect any sudden changes. He’s committed to stability,” a senior European diplomat in Riyadh said.

King Abdullah helped to rebuild relations with Washington after it emerged that 15 of the 19 suicide hijackers in the attacks in America on September 11, 2001, were Saudis. Officials remained in apparent denial until May 2003, when home-grown militants linked to al-Qaeda began a series of attacks on mainly Western and later government offices that have claimed more than 200 lives.

A process of gradual reform, spearheaded by King Abdullah who heads the 100,000-strong, fiercely loyal National Guard, accompanied by tough security measures, won back a measure of Western confidence.

WHAT THEY SAID

‘Under his guidance we have developed extremely close political, commercial and defence links. They will always be seen as his legacy’
Tony Blair

‘He engaged himself for dialogue between the Islamic world and the West with intelligence, far-sightedness and great personal commitment’
Chancellor Schröder

‘[He was] the guarantor of his country’s cohesion and the defender of regional stability’
President Chirac

‘History will remember the great and numerous achievements he accomplished for the sake of the holy sites, his people and his nation’
President Mubarak

‘The Arab and Muslim world has lost an exceptional leader who did not spare any effort in order to unify Arab and Muslim ranks’
King Abdullah of Jordan

‘He showed support and commitment to the Palestinian revolution and to Fatah’
Mahmoud Abbas, Palestinian leader

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