King bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud Abdallah of Saudi Arabia

From 1997, Crown Prince Abdallah took on much of the day-to-day responsibilities of running the government.

Since ascending to the throne, King Abdallah has continued to pursue an incremental program of social, economic, and political reforms.

Since ascending to the throne, King Abdallah has followed a more activist foreign policy, offering Saudi assistance and support in efforts to resolve regional crises in Lebanon, Sudan, and Somalia; fostering Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts; and increasing Saudi diplomatic engagement around the world.

King ABDALLAH has continued the cautious reform program begun when he was crown prince.