London, Asharq Al-Awsat- Saudi Arabia ’s ruler, King Fahd bin Abdulaziz died early Monday in a Riyadh hospital and Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdulaziz was pronounced monarch of the Kingdom.

“With deep sorrow and pain, the Royal Court in the name of his Highness Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdulaziz and all members of the family announces the death of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Fahd bin Abdulaziz,” said an official statement read out on state television by the Saudi information minister.

Saudi television, which said the King was 83 years of age, broke with regular broadcasting to proclaim the Fahd’s death. Quranic verse recitals followed the announcement by the minister, Iyad bin Amin Madani, who appeared to choke back tears as he read the statement.

King Fahd”s funeral is scheduled for Tuesday, while on Wednesday Saudi citizens will be able to pledge their loyalty to their new ruler at a palace in Riyadh.

Defense Minister Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz was named crown prince.

The Associated Press news agency said the King died early on Monday at the King Faisal Specialist Hospital in the capital, where he was admitted on 27 May for unspecified medical tests.

“Members of the Royal Family have acknowledged Crown Prince Abdullah as sovereign of the country… after which the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and ruler of Saudi Arabia King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz chose Prince Sultan as Crown Prince and family members have acknowledged that,” the statement added.

The Saudi monarch suffered a debilitating stroke in 1995 that confined him mainly to a figurehead role in the Kingdom. His half-brother Crown Prince Abdullah has been Saudi Arabia ’s de facto leader since then.

Fahd assumed the throne on 13 Jun, 1982 becoming the fifth King of Saudi Arabia. “I will be father to the young, brother to the elderly,” he once said. “I am but one of you; whatever troubles you, trouble me; whatever pleases you, pleases me.”

Under his rule, projects were undertaken to facilitate the hajj for the more than 2 million pilgrims from around the world who visit each year. Mecca was expanded to 3.5 million square feet to accommodate 1 million worshipers; Medina has grown to nearly 1.8 million square feet to accommodate half a million people, according to his official biography.

King Fahd was held in high esteem across the Arab and Muslims worlds because of his role as the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques.

Across the Arab world, governments announced periods of mourning and an Arab summit in the wake of the August 23 terror attacks in Sharm al Sheikh was postponed, as leaders prepared to attend the funeral of King Fahd in Riyadh on Tuesday.

Egypt , Syria and the Cairo-based Arab League announced three days of mourning while Jordan set a 40-day period of mourning.

“ Jordan will stand beside Saudi Arabia and its people on this painful occasion. May God grant his mercy and patience to the Saudi people. May God rest his soul,” said King Abdullah II in a statement issued by the Jordanian Royal Court .

“ Saudi Arabia has lost one of its dutiful sons, a leader amongst the most dear of its leaders and men,” said Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

The Kuwaiti Prime Minister, Sheikh Abah Ahmad al Sabah whose country was liberated by an international coalition based in Saudi Arabia said, “King Fahd… devoted himself to the service of his religion, homeland, people and his Arab and Muslim nation.”

Lebanese lawmaker and Saudi citizen Saad Hariri, son of murdered former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, who was a close friend of the Saudi royal family, headed to Riyadh Monday to take part in the funeral. “We in Lebanon, which the King loved and offered his efforts, hear and time in a way the Lebanese people will never forget, feel the magnitude of the loss, remembering how the Kingdom stood by us at each of our political and economic crossroads.”

In Damascus , President Bashar Assad recalled how the Saudi monarch “spent his life defending the interests of the sisterly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the causes of the Arab nation. He was keen on fortifying relations between our two countries.”

On his way to attend the funeral, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas expressed his sorrow and pain at the death of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. He praised his “support and commitment to the Palestinian revolution and Fatah since the 1960s.”

In Doha , the Emir of Qatar said the world had “lost on the most prominent leaders and a good man who dedicated his life and efforts to serve his country and nation.”

Leaders worldwide offered their condolences Monday for the death of the Saudi monarch.

In London , Prime Minister Tony Blair said, “King Fahd was a man of great vision and leadership who inspired his countrymen for a quarter of a century as King. He led Saudi Arabia through a period of unparalleled progress and development.”

French President Jacques Chirac focused on the historical relationship between Paris and Riyadh . He said, “This old friendship, which began with an exceptional link established by General De Gaulle, took on a new dimension under the reign of King Fahd.”

Buckingham Palace issued a statement on behalf of Queen Elizabeth II expressing her sadness at the King’s death. “During his reign, Britain and Saudi Arabia enjoyed a very close relationship,” she said. The British Monarch also extended her best wishes to newly appointed King Abdullah and said she “looks forward to strengthening the bonds that link [the] two countries.”