The men who would be king - By Anne Penketh

When King Abdullah invites foreign leaders into his office in his opulent Jeddah palace, he sits by a painting which shows a supplicant presenting a petition to the elderly monarch's father – the man who gave his name to modern Saudi Arabia.

As the dignitaries glance from father to son, their gaze comes to rest on the 84-year-old ruler seated before them in the wood-panelled and marble room, wrapped in his chestnut robe. They can be forgiven for thinking: who's next? Because uncertainty is looming over the literally tottering House of Saud. Saudi Arabia's geriatric leaders are at each others' throats, circling like caged animals waiting for the first to die.

King Abdullah is supposed to be succeeded by his half brother and arch-rival, Crown Prince Sultan, who is also in his 80s. However, since the crown prince returned from medical treatment in Geneva at the beginning of May, there have been rumours that he is dying of cancer. The possibility that he could die before the king has aroused fears that the bitter feud between the two rival wings of the Saud family could be reignited in a power struggle in which dozens of contenders could come forward to claim the throne. The king has 60 siblings.

Abdullah, who became king three years ago, is heralded by some as a reforming monarch. They point to measures taken to ensure a smooth succession and the stability of the kingdom which is the world's biggest oil producer, not to mention the home of Mecca, where political turmoil can have a global impact.

After succeeding the equally geriatric King Fahd, who died after a long illness, Abdullah issued a decree providing for an "alliance council" of sons and grandsons of the country's founder, Abdul al Aziz al Saud, to decide on the future successions once Sultan became king.

The fresh concerns about the health of Prince Sultan, who had previously had intestinal surgery, could put paid to the king's carefully laid plans.

GETTY

King Abdullah: appeared in rude health at a meeting on Sunday with the UN secretary-general, Ban Ki-moon.