Malaysia today offered condolences on the death of King Fahd of Saudi Arabia, saying his passing was a great loss to the Arab region and the Muslim world.

"We join the people of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in mourning the loss of one of the greatest and respectable leaders of the Muslim world," Agong Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin said in a statement.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said in a separate message that King Fahd had brought "rapid progress and prosperity" to his people.

"The demise of His Majesty Almarhum King Fahd is indeed a great loss not only to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia but also to the Arab world and other Muslim nations," he said.

King Fahd passed away yesterday after a long illness. He was succeeded by his half-brother Crown Prince Abdullah, who had been de facto ruler for a decade.