Yemen's President Ali Abdullah Saleh arrived unexpectedly in Riyadh early Wednesday for the signing of a Gulf-sponsored power-transfer deal, an official here told Agence France Presse.

Saleh's visit came after the U.N.'s Yemen envoy said on Tuesday a deal aimed at ending months of political deadlock had been approved both by the opposition and by the president.

Saudis began swearing allegiance on Saturday to the new Crown Prince Nayef bin Abdul Aziz, described by the local press as the "man for the job" and praised in Washington for his commitment to fight terrorism.

Nayef -- who served as interior minister for nearly four decades and led a crackdown on al-Qaida in the kingdom -- was named in a royal decree on Thursday to succeed Prince Sultan who died in the U.S. last week following a long illness and was buried in Riyadh.

Saudi Arabia's powerful interior minister, 78-year-old Prince Nayef bin Abdul Aziz, was named the new heir to the throne in a royal decree read out on state television Thursday.

Nayef -- who has been interior minister for nearly four decades and led a crackdown on al-Qaida in the kingdom -- succeeds prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz, who died last week in New York and was buried Tuesday in Riyadh.

Prime Minister Najib Miqati and former Premier Saad Hariri came face to face on Tuesday during their condolences to Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz on the death of Crown Prince Sultan.

Media reports said Wednesday that Miqati and Hariri exchanged handshakes and kisses and then the Mustaqbal movement leader invited the PM to sit next to him after he realized that Miqati’s seat was far from where King Abdullah was sitting.

Embattled Syrian President Bashar Assad's exiled uncle has arrived in Riyadh to offer his condolences over the death of Saudi Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz, Saudi news agency SPA said Tuesday.

"Rifaat Assad, uncle of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has arrived in Riyadh to offer his condolences to King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz," said SPA.

A series of controversial issues are awaiting a solution by the cabinet but the death of the Saudi Crown Prince forced a postponement of a session on Tuesday, a move that came as a safe exit out for the bickering government ministers.

Informed sources told An Nahar daily on Monday that the “cracks” worsened during the last government session over the dispute between the ministers loyal to Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun and those representing Progressive Socialist Party chief Walid Jumblat.

Saudi King Abdullah was hospitalized for a new back surgery in Riyadh, following two similar operations last year in the United States, the SPA news agency early Monday.

The 87-year-old was operated in November for a debilitating herniated disc complicated by a hematoma that put pressure on his spine and underwent another surgery to repair several vertebrae.

Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri arrived in Paris from Riyadh on Saturday, al-Liwaa newspaper reported.

The daily said on Monday that Hariri is holding telephone conversations with officials concerning the situation in Lebanon and the region.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague said Thursday that an alleged Iranian-backed plot to kill the Saudi envoy to the United States is a "major escalation in Iran's sponsorship of terrorism."

Hague said London was in "close touch" with U.S. authorities and would work to agree an international response along with the United States, European Union and Saudi Arabia to the U.S. charges, which Tehran denies.

Saudi King Abdullah will undergo new back surgery in Riyadh in the next few days, following two similar operations last year in the United States, the palace said in a statement on Tuesday.

Exams performed after the 87-year-old king complained of "pain in the lower back" revealed a stretched ligament, said the statement quoted by the Spa official news agency.