U.S. President Barack Obama will shorten his trip to India so he can join other world leaders to pay respects in-person, following the death of Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah on Friday.
WHITE HOUSE: Obama has decided to change his plans and travel to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday to pay his respects to the new King Salman.— Michael Skolnik (@MichaelSkolnik) January 24, 2015
Obama, who will skip a trip to the Taj Mahal, is now scheduled to arrive in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. He will join other dignitaries, including Prince Charles, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, Japan's Crown Prince Naruhito, Spain's King Felipe VI, Jordan's King Abdullah, Denmark's Crown Prince Frederik, Dutch King Willem-Alexander, Morocco's Prince Moulay Rachid.
Representatives from China, South Korea, Iran and the United Nations, as well as prime ministers and top politicians from Europe, Asia and elsewhere are also expected to arrive in Saudi Arabia. The presidents of Mauritania, Senegal and Gabon were shown on Saudi state TV arriving on Saturday.
[seealso slug=http://sale-online.click/2015/01/23/saudi-arabia-king-burial/http://mashable.com/2015/01/23/saudi-arabia-king-burial%5D%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EBREAKING: #Iranian delegation arrives in Riyadh to offer condolences for the passing of King Abdullah - http://t.co/lfJrdzgmXD— Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) January 24, 2015
Deputy #UNSG will travel to #SaudiArabia to pay respect on behalf of @UN following the death of #KingAbdullah: http://t.co/xhAJzaRrEJ— UN Spokesperson (@UN_Spokesperson) January 24, 2015
King Abdullah died at age 90, after ruling for almost two decades. His half-brother King Salman, 79, acceded to the throne. Salman had the rightful claim to the throne because he is the oldest surviving son of King Abdulaziz, usually called Ibn Saud, who died in 1953, according to the BBC. Salman is the sixth son of Abdulaziz to rule Saudi Arabia.
The country's government is a monarchy led by the Al Saud family.
Additional reporting by The Associated Press