Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah has announced increased benefits for his citizens, as he heads home after months abroad getting medical treatment.
There will be extra funds for housing, studying abroad and social security, according to state television.
King Abdullah has been away from the country for three months, during which time mass protests have changed the political landscape of the Middle East.
The BBC understands that there have been few demonstrations in Saudi Arabia.
The streets in Riyadh have been decorated with national flags for the return of the king.
The 86-year-old left for New York on November 22 and had two operations in New York to repair spinal vertebrae and a herniated disc.
After a period of convalescence at his New York home, the king flew to Morocco on January 22 and has been recuperating there ever since.
By that time, Tunisia's president Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali had become the first leader in the region to be ousted after weeks of mass protests - and he had fled to Saudi Arabia.
Comments