Saudi Foreign Minister Undergoes Minor Surgery

Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal has successfully undergone a minor operation to relieve an intestinal obstruction, the royal court said on Saturday.

The announcement came one day before meetings by Arab and Gulf Arab foreign ministers in Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea city of Jeddah to discuss Syria ahead of a summit in the Kingdom on Tuesday of the world’s biggest Muslim body, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

“Prince Saud al-Faisal, the foreign minister, suffered a minor blockage in the intestines because of adhesions due to a previous surgery,” the Saudi Press Agency quoted a statement from the royal court as saying.

“He underwent minor surgery to break the adhesions. The surgery was successful. He is in a stable condition.”

Saud, a 72-year-old nephew of King Abdullah, has been foreign minister since 1975.

Deputy Arab League chief Ahmed Ben Helli told reporters in Cairo that the Arab foreign ministers will discuss who will replace U.N. and Arab League peace envoy to Syria Kofi Annan, who quit last week as the 17-month-old conflict spiralled further out of control.

A Foreign Ministry spokesman said that Prince Saud’s attendance at the meetings on Sunday would depend on his doctors’ advice.