Dubai – Saudi Arabia’s King Salman, 88, chaired the country’s weekly cabinet meeting on Tuesday, marking his first appearance in this role since September 24, state television reported.
The monarch of the world’s largest oil exporter, and a key U.S. ally in the Middle East, had been recovering from a bout of lung inflammation in October following medical tests. His previous cabinet meeting in September took place after a royal decree in August authorized the cabinet to meet even if both the king and Prime Minister Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman were absent.
In May, King Salman also received medical treatment for lung inflammation but resumed his duties soon after, leading a cabinet meeting a week later via video conference, as shown on state television.