- The exams will be carried out at the royal clinics at Al Salam Palace.
- The medical team decides to perform tests to diagnose King's health.
- Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman acts as day-to-day ruler.
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz to undergo medical tests on Sunday due to 'high temperature and joint pain', state news agency SPA reported.
The exams will be carried out for the second time in a month at the royal clinics at Al Salam Palace in Jeddah. The 88-year-old king was last admitted to the hospital in April for a routine check-up, state television reported at the time.
King Salman, custodian of Islam's holiest sites, became ruler of the world's top oil exporter in 2015 after spending more than two and a half years as crown prince and deputy prime minister.
Although his son, Mohammed bin Salman, 38, was named crown prince in 2017 and acts as daily ruler.
King Salman is currently “suffering from high fever and joint pain,” the statement said. “The treating medical team decided to perform some tests to diagnose his health status and guarantee his health.”
The monarch's health is rarely discussed, but the Royal Court revealed in April that he had been admitted to King Faisal Specialist Hospital for “routine examinations”. He left the hospital later that day.
Prior to that, his last hospitalization had been in May 2022, when he went to have a colonoscopy and stayed a little over a week for other tests and “some time to rest.” SPA reported at the time.
Saudi Arabia has been trying for years to quell speculation about King Salman's health.
In 2017, Riyadh dismissed reports and growing speculation that the king planned to abdicate in favor of Prince Mohammed.
King Salman underwent surgery to remove his gallbladder in 2020.
He was also admitted to hospital in March 2022 to undergo what state media described as “successful medical tests” and to change the battery in his pacemaker.
King Salman was governor of Riyadh for decades and also minister of defense.
His reign as king has been marked by ambitious social and economic reforms managed largely by his son, who is trying to position Saudi Arabia for an eventual post-oil future.
Prince Mohammed has also overseen an intense crackdown on dissent that analysts say has helped him consolidate power.
