Saudi King on 'Private Visit' to Morocco

Saudi King Abdullah arrived in Casablanca on Monday for a private visit to Morocco, official sources said.

The 88-year-old monarch was received at the airport by senior Moroccan dignitaries, the official MAP news agency reported.

King Abdullah is a frequent visitor to the North African country, where his family owns palaces in Casablanca, the economic capital, and Agadir to the southwest.

His last trip was at the beginning of 2011, after he underwent surgery in New York for a debilitating herniated disc complicated by a hematoma.

During his visit, the Saudi monarch usually meets his Moroccan counterpart, King Mohammed VI, and receives foreign politicians.

King Abdullah left the new heir to the throne, Crown Prince Salman bin Abdul Aziz, who is also deputy prime minister and defense minister, in charge of the oil-rich kingdom during his absence, the SPA news agency reported.

It is the Saudi king's first trip abroad since he appointed Salman, 76, first in line to the throne in June, following the death of crown prince Nayef bin Abdul Aziz at the age of 79.