‘Saudi King will not relinquish throne’

DUBAI: King Salman isn’t planning to abdicate in favour of his son, a senior Saudi official said, dismissing mounting speculation that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will soon ascend to the throne.

“There is no possibility whatsoever that the king will abdicate,’’ the official said in response to written questions. Saudi kings usually stay in power even when bad health prevents them from carrying out their job, the official said on condition of anonymity.

He noted the example of King Fahd, who stayed on as monarch until his death in 2005 despite being gravely ill in the last few years of his reign. Abdication is unthinkable especially since King Salman, 81, enjoys “perfect’’ physical and mental powers, the official said. Those who suggest otherwise “do not understand royal customs and traditions in Saudi Arabia,” the official said.

King Salman has already sidelined senior princes as his son rose to power. Prince Mohammed, 32, was named heir to the throne in June after replacing his cousin. Last week, Prince Miteb bin Abdullah was also dismissed from his post as head of the National Guard as part of what authorities described as a sweeping anti-corruption drive, reinforcing speculation that the crown prince was on the cusp of becoming king.

The government will have difficulty credibly denying that speculation “because no one expects them to acknowledge it as a possibility before it happens,” said Graham Griffiths, an analyst at consultancy Control Risks in Dubai. “As a result, rumor and speculation will continue to abound.”