Text of Saudi King Salman's nationally televised speech Friday following the death of King Abdullah at age 90:

Thanks be to God who said: "Everyone will die and only God's graceful and honorable face is immortal."

With hearts that believe in God and destiny, and are filled with sadness and grief, I go to the loyal Saudi people and the Arab and Islamic nations condoling the precious loss of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz, may God have mercy on him. God almighty chose him to be close to Him after having spent his life seeking obedience of his Lord and to uphold His religion, then to serve his country and his people and defend the Arab and Islamic nations.

We ask God to bestow his soul in mercy and to admit him in His vast paradise and to reward him the best reward for the outstanding work in the service of his religion and homeland and nation. As we ask Him to bless us with patience and reward, and will say to this great loss only what God has commanded us to say: "We leave everything to God and to Him we return."

Dear brothers, sons, male and female citizens:

I am, God-willing, to carry out this great trust. I would like to ask Him to help me with His support and ask Him to show us the real truth to follow, and to show us falsehood and help us to avoid it.

We will continue, with God's grace and strength, committed to the true approach which was followed by this state since its inception at the hands of the founder, King Abdul-Aziz, God's mercy upon him, and at the hands of his sons after him, God's mercy upon them. We will never deviate from this approach since our constitution is the book of Allah and the Sunnah (deeds and saying) of His Prophet, peace be upon him.

Brothers:

The Arab and Islamic nation is in dire need today to be united and maintain solidarity. We will continue in this country, that God has honored by choosing it as a platform for His message and as the direction Muslims must pray. Our march is to undertake everything possible to keep the unity of our ranks and the unity of word and in defense of our nation's issues, guided by the teachings of our true Islamic religion which was favored by the Lord to us, the religion of peace, mercy and moderation.

I ask God to assist me to serve our dear people and realize their hopes, and to preserve our country and our nation's security and stability, and to protect them from all evils, for He is the master and able to do that. There's no strength except with God.