Riyadh: Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz was discharged from hospital on Friday after undergoing medical tests in the capital, with authorities describing the results as “reassuring”, according to state media reports.
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In a statement issued by the Royal Court and carried by Saudi state news outlets, officials said the 90-year-old monarch had left the King Faisal Specialist Hospital in Riyadh following a series of tests earlier in the day. The court did not specify the nature of the tests, but indicated that his condition was stable.
Royal Court: The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, left King Faisal Specialist Hospital in Riyadh after reassuring medical tests. pic.twitter.com/nfP55GNFlJ
— Foreign Ministry 🇸🇦 (@KSAmofaEN) January 16, 2026
Questions surrounding King Salman’s health periodically attract international attention due to the kingdom’s geopolitical role as one of the world’s largest crude oil exporters and a key player in regional diplomacy. Saudi authorities typically address speculation through brief statements aimed at reassuring both domestic and foreign audiences.
King Salman ascended the throne in 2015, but Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, named heir apparent in 2017, serves as the kingdom’s de facto leader and oversees day-to-day governance and strategic policy.
The health of the monarch is seldom discussed publicly, though he has undergone treatment and surgery on several occasions in recent years. In 2024, the Royal Court reported that he had suffered from lung infections, from which he later recovered.
Earlier hospitalisations were also documented. In May 2022, King Salman underwent a colonoscopy and remained under observation for just over a week, while in March the same year, state media said he had undergone “successful medical tests” and a pacemaker battery replacement. In 2020, he underwent surgery to remove his gallbladder.
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While officials have not detailed further medical procedures this time, Friday’s statement stressed that test results were positive and that the monarch had returned home.