Amid persistent rumors of the crown prince's declining health, recent reports have Sultan at King Faysal Hospital in Jiddah, where he was taken after falling ill on the 7th of August. His absence from the weekly Cabinet session on Monday may confirm his illness.

Sultan returned to the Kingdom in December after spending nearly a year abroad, receiving treatment for intestinal cancer. He was at New York's Colombia Presbyterian Hospital, then spent time at his Moroccan residence recuperating. After his return, he took an active public role and was a highly visible presence throughout the Kingdom, perhaps to establish that he had returned to full health. The constant travel and public appearances took its toll, however, and he was seen to be drawn and tired, needing a great deal of assistance to move around, and often relying on this help of his aides.

As if timed to ward off speculation brought about by the tightly-managed handling, the Saudi press began referring to him as the Vice-Custodian of the Holy Places. While this style made sense given the king's absence during his trips abroad, followed by the annual holiday in Morocco, it had the effect of solidifying his position in the popular mind. Second Deputy Prime Minister Prince Nayif is playing an increasingly public and active role, with the style of Heir Apparent in the press, and Sultan, known for years as "vali al-ahd", undoubtably felt the need to set himself apart from his brother. As a further benefit, the title of Vice-Custodian with its subtle implication of joint rule, helps to establish Nayif, a favorite of the al-Suadyri clan to one day acceed to the throne, as the rightful successor.

Though Sultan's hopitalization may just as well be the result of exhaustion, other events may take on a different light in view of this. He was absent from the weekly Cabinet session in Jiddah, not normally cause for alarm. Several high-level meetings in recent weeks have been cancelled at the last minute, including a planned meeting with French Defense Minister Herve Morin, and with British Defense Minister Liam Fox. Equally, however, Sultan has been keen to devolve the responsibilities of the Defense portfolio to his son Khalid.

The return of Prince Mish'al, Chair of the Bay'ah Commission, to Riyadh on Sunday evening from Switzerland, may or may not be related to Sultan's health. On the one hand, it could appear that Mish'al, responsible for a smooth transition in the case of the death or incapacitation of the king or crown prince, may need to be on hand at the time of family emergency. On the other, Mish'al has been away from the Kingdom for some time this summer, and his return comes just prior to the start of the holy month of Ramadhan. The royals figure prominently in the month's activities in and around Makkah. As well, Mish'al is not known to be particularily close to Sultan, and is not likely to have rushed back for this reason alone.

The opposition has stepped up its activities in recent months, co-incident with a renewed push by Iran to sow discord and uncertainty at a time of deteriorating inter-state relations, and fear of an impending American move against the Iranians. As rhetoric heats up and reports of Israeli-Saudi co-opearation make the rounds, Iran has been lashing out at the Al Saud, while the opposition in exile generates controversy and alarm with reports of crisis and turmoil among the senior royals. A perception that the dynasty is at an end favors athat agenda.

Any news of Sultan's return to the United States for further treatment would end the uncertainty. As well, Prince Salman is closest to the crown prince. He was with Sultan for the duration of the treatment in New York, and would likely not hesitate to rush to his brother's side if there were a dramatic health scare. At the moment, however, Salman is enjoying his yacht in Marbella.