Friday’s funeral of Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah was a relatively simple affair in line with the austere form of Islam practiced by one of the world’s wealthiest ruling families, nbcnews reports.
The body of the former custodian of Islam’s two holiest cities, Mecca and Medina, was bathed according to Islamic ritual. The late ruler, whose net worth has been estimated at around $20 billion, was then wrapped in two pieces of plain white cloth; the standard shroud for all Muslims. Nothing out of the ordinary was done to King Abdullah’s body.
It was later taken to the Imam Turki Bin Abdullah Grand Mosque in the capital Riyadh for the funeral prayers at around 3:15 p.m. (7:15 a.m. ET). In line with codes that dictate that a tribal chieftain be accessible to everyone in his community, the ceremony was open to the public. Women were able to attend, sitting in the women’s section of the mosque.
After the funeral, Abdullah’s shrouded body was carried on a board, taken to Al Oud cemetery and laid to rest in an unmarked grave.