Saudi king travels to Morocco on ‘official visit’

Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz has traveled to Morocco for an “official visit,” dismissing recent claims that the monarch was seriously ill and even clinically dead.

The state-run Saudi Press Agency (SPA) said on Friday that King Abdullah left Jeddah for the North African country. The SPA also published pictures showing princes and officials greeting the Saudi ruler at Jeddah airport before his departure.

King Abdullah and other members of the ruling Al Saud royal family have palaces in Morocco and travel there regularly.

The aging Saudi monarch has not recently appeared in the public and the country’s crown prince is attending official meetings on his behalf.

Earlier this month, a Saudi journalist working for London-Based Asharq Alawsat alleged that King Abdullah was clinically dead.

It was the second time in the past months that Asharq Alawsat reported the death of the Saudi king.

In November 2012, the daily reported that Saudi king has slipped into coma and was clinically dead nearly a week after he underwent a 14-hour-long back surgery in a hospital in the Saudi capital, Riyadh.

The report was later rejected by the Royal Court.

The 89-year-old king’s health has declined over the past few years, during which he has been hospitalized several times.

Failing health, old age as well as the death of the king’s half-brothers have raised concerns about the future of the oil-rich country in the face of anti-government demonstrations.