RIYADH, Aug 2 (Xinhuanet) -- The funeral of Saudi Arabia's King Fahd began on Tuesday at a Riyadh mosque where Saudi and Muslim world leaders were gathered to bid farewell to the late king.

    Chinese President Hu Jintao on Monday mourned the passing of Saudi King Fahd Ibn Abdul-Aziz.

    In a message of condolences, Hu expressed his deep condolences over the death of King Fahd, calling the late monarch a great leader of Saudi Arabia and an old esteemed friend of the Chinese people.

    Hu also paid tribute to King Fahd's efforts to promote the Sino-Saudi relations, saying the demise "is not only a great loss to the Saudi people, but also the loss of an old esteemed friend to the Chinese people."

    In a related development, Hui Liangyu, a special envoy of President Hu and a vice premier, left Beijing for Saudi Arabia Tuesday morning to extend condolences on the death of King Fahd.

    King Fahd, 82, died Monday at the King Faisal Specialist Hospital in the Saudi capital of Riyadh where he was admitted to the hospital in May due to acute pneumonia. Enditem