The people of Bahrain will never forget how King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia stood shoulder to shoulder with us during one of the most difficult phases of our history. His passing will be deeply felt in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the wider region.
King Abdullah will be remembered as a far-sighted leader who introduced important reforms, including measures to empower women at all levels of society. Across the Middle East King Abdullah worked for peace and security. At a time of growing instability in Yemen, Syria, Lebanon and Iraq we will all miss his wise leadership.
We wish King Salman Bin-Abdulaziz every success as the new ruler of Saudi Arabia and under his rule the continuation of excellent relations between Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and other GCC states in responding to the collective challenges that we face.