– Challenges ahead –
Abdullah named Moqren as deputy crown prince last March, in an unprecedented move aimed at smoothing succession hurdles.
Moqren, a former intelligence chief, was a trusted confidant of Abdullah with a reputation as a liberal.
A former air force officer born in 1945, Moqren is the youngest son of King Abdul Aziz bin Saud, the founder of Saudi Arabia.
Since King Abdul Aziz’s death in 1952 the throne has systematically passed from one of his sons to another.
Abdul Aziz had 45 recorded sons and Abdullah, Salman and Moqren were all born to different mothers.
The new king will face some major challenges, especially as falling oil prices cut into state revenues.
Saudi Arabia has managed to avoid the social upheaval that has shaken many of its neighbours in recent years, thanks in large part to massive public spending.
The country has amassed enormous financial reserves, but has already projected a huge deficit of $38.6 billion for this year.
Many Saudis turned to social media to mourn the king.
The broadcaster who read the announcement of his death wearing a dark robe and traditional shemagh head covering, Abdullah al-Shihri, said on Twitter it had pained him to break the news.
“I did not wish to announce this news,” he wrote. “May God have mercy on Abdullah bin Abdulaziz. Sincere prayers for his successor and crown prince.”
Another Twitter user, Shaima, said: “We didn’t lose a king, we all lost a father”.
In a country where official media are tightly controlled, the Internet offers more opportunities for Saudis to communicate.
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