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Saudi state TV says King Salman chairs cabinet days after leaving hospital

By Thomson Reuters Jan 20, 2026 | 6:50 AM

DUBAI, Jan 20 (Reuters) – Saudi Arabia’s 90-year-old King Salman chaired in person a cabinet ‍meeting on Tuesday, Saudi state TV reported, days after he left hospital where he was undergoing medical tests.

King Salman, whose ‌country is the world’s ‌largest oil exporter and a major U.S. ally in the Middle East, went to a hospital in ​Riyadh on Friday for medical tests and left on ‍the same ​day.

Saudi TV published a ​video dated January 20, showing the ‍king chairing the cabinet and reading files with his ministers. Reuters could not independently verify the video.

In the meeting, ‍King Salman welcomed U.S. President Donald Trump’s establishment of the Board of ‍Peace, ‍the state news ​agency reported.

The Saudi king ​had ⁠received medical care for ‌lung inflammation in 2024.

(Reporting by Ahmed Elimam and Nayera Abdallah and Tala Ramadan; Writing by Ahmed Elimam, Editing by Andrew Heavens, ⁠Alexandra Hudson)