RIYADH, Saudi Arabia - King Fahd will be buried Tuesday in a simple grave marked without name or inscription, a spot indistinguishable from those of nearby commoners and past monarchs in keeping with the traditions of conservative Saudi Arabia.
Arab leaders are expected in Riyadh for memorial services, but Saudi officials said there would be no state funeral — a tradition they say is not part of the kingdom's strict version of Islam known as Wahhabism.
Flags will not be lowered to half staff because the green Saudi flag is inscribed with Islam's testament of faith, "There is no god but God and Muhammad is his prophet." Putting the banner at half staff would be a debasement of God's name, Saudis say.
Fahd, who died Monday at age 84, will be buried at the al-Oud cemetery in Riyadh.
His three predecessors as king — half brothers Saud, Faisal and Khaled — are also buried there, along with commoners. There are no gravestones or tombs for any of them, only piles of dirt and a simple stone at each grave with no name or inscription.
Wahhabism frowns on what is a common tradition in other Arab and Muslim cultures — visiting the graves of relatives and beloved Muslim figures. Wahhabis feel that smacks of saint worshipping.
Foreign dignitaries who come to express condolences will be able to take part in a prayer for the dead at the Mosque of Imam Turki bin Abdullah. The mosque can hold up to 6,000 people, and carpets and mats will be spread outside to accommodate more people.
Dignitaries also will able to visit the new monarch — Fahd's half brother Abdullah — to pay their respects. But Saudis also reject a mourning ceremony seen in other Muslim countries like Egypt and Iraq, where visitors gather in a tent, listen to the Quran being read and drink coffee for hours.
