King Abdullah to fly to US for medical treatment

AFP

King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia is to travel to the United States for treatment of a painful herniated disc and "blood accumulation" around the spine, a Saudi official said today.

The king, 86, will depart tomorrow after the return of Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz to Riyadh from Morocco, which is expected to happen today, the official said.

On November 12 the royal court said the king was suffering from a herniated disc, a painful but treatable spinal ailment.

On Friday the king underwent tests at King Faisal hospital in Riyadh after he suffered a new flare-up of pain, and the official report said it involved an "accumulation of blood" around the spinal cord.

Crown Prince Sultan's return comes after he spent nearly 12 weeks at his palace in Agadir, Morocco.

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