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King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia has died at the age of 90, ending the reign of the world's oldest monarch and leaving one of the most influential countries in the Middle East facing a period of fresh political uncertainty

Sir William Patey, former British Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, told Today: "There are a number of challenges coming at the Kingdom ...but they have a history of managing crises".

"Resilience is the norm, I'm not saying something couldn't go wrong, but I think continuity is more likely".

When asked about King Abdullah's record on reform, he said: "King Abdullah went as fast as he thought the population of Saudi Arabia would bear".