Saudi Arabia: King Salman’s bodyguard shot dead in ‘personal dispute’ with friend, reports say

Death sparks tributes on social media to prominent security official

Abdulaziz al-Fagham was known to the public in Saudi Arabia due to his frequent appearances with King Salman (AFP/Getty Images)

A prominent bodyguard to Saudi Arabia’s King Salman has been shot dead in a “personal dispute” with a friend, according to state media.

Another Saudi national and a Filipino worker were also injured along with five members of the security forces when a gunfight erupted as they arrived to investigate.

It is unclear what triggered the row between Major General Abdulaziz al-Fagham and the shooter.

Few details were offered about the incident by the state-run Saudi Press Agency.

A wave of tributes appeared on social media as news of his death emerged.

One included a picture of Mr al-Fagham bending down to help King Salman, the 83-year-old ruler of Saudi Arabia, tie his shoelaces.

Others showed him in the background of events with both the royal and his predecessor, the late King Abdullah.

The bodyguard was reportedly popular among Saudis due to his frequent appearances with the two kings.

Turki Aldakhil, the kingdom’s ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, tweeted: “Abdulaziz al-Fagham lived a hero – brave, patriotic, loving his country and his kings… The whole of Saudi Arabia is grieved by his departure.”

The first official word on his death came from a post by Saudi state television on Twitter.

“Maj Gen Abdulaziz al-Fagham, bodyguard of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, was shot dead following a personal dispute in Jiddah,” the tweet read.

A later report in the Okaz newspaper described him as “The Keeper of Kings” in a headline, but again offered few details about his death.

Officials in the kingdom did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Gun crime is rare in Saudi Arabia, where strict Islamic law means convicted killers and drug smugglers are routinely executed.

In 2017, there were 419 reported homicides n the country of more than 30 million people, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

Agencies contributed to this report