Saudi Arabia’s 90-Year-Old King Salman Undergoes Medical Tests in Riyadh

Saudi Arabia’s monarch, King Salman, aged 90, is undergoing medical examinations at a hospital in the capital, Riyadh, the Royal Court announced on Friday.

In a statement carried by state media, the court said: “The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques — may God protect him — is undergoing medical examinations today… at King Faisal Specialist Hospital in Riyadh.”

Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest crude oil exporter, has long sought to calm speculation surrounding the health of King Salman.

The king has ruled since 2015, although his son, Mohammed bin Salman, was appointed crown prince in 2017 and serves as the kingdom’s de facto leader.

Details about the monarch’s health are rarely disclosed, but he has been admitted to hospital several times in recent years for medical procedures and tests.

In 2024, the Royal Court said King Salman recovered from lung infections. He was hospitalised in May 2022 for a colonoscopy and remained under care for just over a week for additional tests and rest, according to the Saudi Press Agency.

Earlier, in March 2022, he was admitted for what state media described as “successful medical tests” and to have the battery of his pacemaker replaced. In 2020, King Salman also underwent surgery to remove his gall bladder.

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