His two decades at the helm of one of the West’s key strategic allies in the Muslim world left an indelible, if ambiguous, legacy.
Here are the five most notable characteristics of his reign.
1. Reforms for women
Hopes were high that Abdullah’s reputation as a modernizing reformer would translate into gains for women in the ultraconservative kingdom.
But in the face of deep-seated cultural opposition to change, the progress was less than expected, said CNN’s senior international correspondent Nic Robertson.
“He promised a lot of reforms but … he was limited by the conservative nature of Saudi society.”
Abdullah was the first Saudi monarch to appoint women to government positions. In 2013, he appointed 30 women to the 150-member Shura Council, the top consultative body that plays an advisory role within Saudi Arabia’s absolute monarchy.
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5. Growing stature on world stage
Saudi Arabia also lifted its international profile under Abdullah’s rule, with the late king taking a strong role in regional and world affairs.
Obama, in expressing his condolences, praised the monarch for his “bold steps” in advancing Middle East peace initiatives, and for greater outreach to the international community.
During his reign, Saudi Arabia became the only Arab nation with a seat at the G20, and the first Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, as the Saudi monarchs are known, to meet the Pope.
Abdullah espoused a message of religious tolerance, despite the strictures of Saudi Wahhabism, said Robertson.
CNN’s Nic Robertson, Becky Anderson and Christiane Amanpour contributed to this report.
