A political analyst has said that a coup could happen in Soddy Arabia, with the health issues of the elderly monarch providing an opportunity for the plotters."It is possible that a coup could happen, and I see nothing to prevent that from happening," Dr. Kamal Helbawy of the Center for the Study of Terrorism said in an interview with Press TV aired on Saturday.
"Both in Qatar and Oman in the past, the sons of the kings stole the leadership from their fathers, and I think there is a rift in the house of Saud," he added.
Soddy Arabia's King Abdullah was hospitalized in the United States on November 22 for a debilitating herniated disc, complicated by a hematoma that put pressure on his spine.
Saudi Health Minister Abdullah al-Rabeeah said the state of the monarch's health was "very reassuring" following the first operation on his disc.
Earlier in the month, US surgeons performed another operation on the monarch's back, which was reported to have gone smoothly.
"With his old age and sickness, there is suspicion about succession. There has been tension in the family for several decades. I believe there is a political and religious crisis," Helbawy said.
King Abdullah has left his half-brother, Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul-Aziz, who is thought to be suffering from cancer, at the helm.
The prolonged convalescence of the Saudi ruler has raised doubts about King Abdullah's succession.