King Abdullah's daughter says his health is improving

Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah Bin Abdulazi's health is improving and he should return home from the US soon.

The monarch - who underwent two operations to remove a blood clot and fix slipped discs in his spine - has been recuperating at his home in New York and his daughter Princess Adelah said his prognosis is good.

She told Saudi Arabia's al-Watan newspaper: "The king's health is constantly improving. He has been attending physiotherapy sessions and will return to the country when he has completed his treatment."

King Abdullah - who had been suffering from back pain for weeks - jetted to New York on November 22 after doctors at a hospital in Riyadh discovered a blood clot in his back and sent him to the US for specialist treatment.

He then underwent a second operation on December 3 to "stabilise" more discs in his spine.

It is hoped he will be able to return home to Riyadh soon although a date has not been announced.

Meanwhile, the king's brother, Crown Prince Sultan, 82 - who has also been struggling with ill health - has been ruling the kingdom in his absence after returning to Saudi Arabia from an extended holiday in Morocco.