Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah had strong ties with U.S. leaders

Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud whodied at 90 years old on Friday, local time, had strong ties with U.S. leaders throughout his decade on the throne.

The Saudi leader was named crown prince in 1982 and officially took power when his brother, King Fahd bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, died in 2005. His 79-year-old half-brother Salman bin Abdul Aziz has already succeeded him

See also: Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah is dead at 90

Despite cultural differences, U.S. political leaders have maintained a close alliance with the Islamic monarchy since 1933. Abdullah bolstered these ties by cracking down on al-Qaeda terrorists after the 9/11 terrorist attacks and lending support to U.S.-led airstrikes against the Islamic State (ISIS). Read more...

More about Saudi Arabia, Us World, and World