King Fahd Funeral

Saudi Prince Abdul Aziz Bin Fahd, a son of the late King Fahd, and others carry his father's shrouded body before performing special prayers at Riyadh's Turk bin Abdullah mosque, Aug. 2, 2005.

The man who led this oil-rich country for almost a quarter century died the day before at the age of 84. Fahd's body was carried in on a wooden plank by his sons and placed in the middle of the mosque amid a crowd of thousands, including his successor, King Abdullah.

The sons of the late Saudi King Fahd carry his body into the Imam Turki bin Abdullah mosque in Riyadh for his pre-burial service, Aug. 2, 2005.

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, right, and Saudi King Abdullah, appear for the funeral of the late King Fahd in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Aug. 2, 2005.

Non-Muslims were not allowed at the ceremony. Heads of state and delegations from Western nations, including Britain's Prince Charles, French President Jacques Chirac and a U.S. delegation, were expected to attend events related to the new king's investiture the next day.

Television screens show an image of late Saudi King Fahd during a live broadcast of his funeral, in an appliance shop in the West Bank town of Ramallah, Aug. 2, 2005. Satellite TV stations seen across the Arab world, many of them owned by Saudi businessmen, carried live coverage of the funeral.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, right, talks to his Iraqi counterpart, Galal Talbani, before performing special prayers for late Saudi King Fahd at Riyadh's Turk bin Abdullah mosque, Aug. 2, 2005. The Palestinian Authority announced a three-day mourning period for the Saudi king.

Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim Al Jafaari, right, meets with an unidentified Saudi as Jafaari arrives in Riyadh airport to take part at King Fahd's funeral ceremony, Aug. 2, 2005.

Syrian President Bashar Assad, right, talks to his Yemeni counterpart, Ali Abdullah Saleh, before performing special prayers for late Saudi King Fahd at Riyadh's Turk bin Abdullah mosque, Aug. 2, 2005.

This image made from Saudi TV shows sons of the late Saudi King Fahd carrying his body, wrapped in a plain brown cloth on a wooden plank, out of the Imam Turki bin Abdullah mosque in Riyadh after his pre-burial service, Aug. 2, 2005.

Mourners stand over the unmarked grave of the late Saudi King Fahd, Aug. 2, 2005, in the al-Oud cemetery in Riyadh. The burial was in keeping with the kingdom's austere version of Islam.

New Saudi King Abdullah performs prayers for late King Fahd at Riyadh's Turk bin Abdullah mosque, Aug. 2. 2005.