Octogenarian Saudi king admitted to hospital for colonoscopy, asked to rest

King Salman's health is closely watched because he holds absolute power in the kingdom.

Saudi Arabia's octogenarian monarch underwent a colonoscopy on Sunday, state-run media reported, just weeks after he had the battery of his pacemaker changed.

The report in the official Saudi Press Agency first said only that King Salman, 86, was admitted to King Faisal Specialist Hospital in the Saudi port city of Jiddah for medical tests, without elaborating.

Later in the day, state-run media reported that he had a colonoscopy, and nothing abnormal was found. Doctors instructed King Salman to stay in the hospital for “some time” to rest, state-run media reported, without specifying how long.

The monarch's health is closely watched because he