World and Arab leaders were in the Saudi capital amid tight security Tuesday for the funeral of King Fahd, who died Monday.
Thousands of police were deployed in the capital, with large crowds attending a service at a Riyadh mosque, then a procession to a cemetery for burial in a simple grave marked only by a small stone without a name or inscription. The body of Fahd was wrapped in his own brown abaya cloak as it was lowered into the grave by members of his family.
State television showed well-wishers lined up at the palaces of provincial governors across the kingdom to pledge their loyalty to the new King, Abdullah.
Tuesday's ceremony was not a state funeral - a tradition which is not part of the kingdom's strict version of Islam known as Wahhabism.
Security forces erected many checkpoints and locked down the motorcade route from the city center to the airport.
Western leaders and dignitaries attending included Britain's Prince Charles, French President Jacques Chirac and Australia's governor general. Among the Arab leaders attending were Egypt's Husni Mubarak, Jordan's King Abdullah, emirs from Gulf nations, Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari and the presidents of Yemen, Syria, Palestine, Tunisia and Lebanon.
"The security apparatus is prepared and has the appropriate experience to ensure security," said Saudi Interior ministry spokesman Lt. Gen. Mansour al-Turki.
Most of the mourners at the mosque are expected to come from among more than 10,000 princes of the royal family.
After the burial, dignitaries and commoners paid their respects to King Abdullah.
