RIYADH: Crown Prince Sultan, deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation, underwent a successful surgical operation at a hospital in New York City on Monday, a Royal Court announcement said.

The medical team that performed the surgery said the operation was part of an ongoing treatment the crown prince has been receiving. "By the Grace of God, the operation was a complete success," the announcement added.

The Royal Court wished Prince Sultan speedy recovery. The operation was carried out three days after the crown prince arrived in New York from Morocco, where he had been convalescing following earlier treatment.

Speaking at the weekly Cabinet meeting on Monday, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah reassured the nation about Prince Sultan's health.

On Friday, the Royal Court said Prince Sultan had arrived in New York for follow-up medical checks and treatment after undergoing a "prescribed convalescence" in Morocco. He had previously traveled to the United States in November for medical tests.

While he was in New York last December, the crown prince met a group of Saudi students in the United States and gave each one a gift of $10,000. "I am ready to listen to any remark or opinion from our students, whether personally or in writing," the prince then told the students.