Officials around the world paid tribute to King Hussein yesterday.
The king was "a great sovereign who inspired the respect and recognition of all the world's leaders for his contributions to the peace process both in his own nation and in the region," said President Jacques Chirac of France.
"We wish with all our heart that Hussein will get better. We need him," the Palestinian leader, Mr Yasser Arafat, told journalists during a visit to Germany. "It is our hope and the hope of the whole Arab world that he recovers quickly." The Israeli Prime Minister, Mr Benjamin Netanyahu, and his main rival, the Labour Party leader, Mr Ehud Barak, called on Israelis to pray for him.
The Egyptian President, Mr Hosni Mubarak, and Oman's Sultan Qaboos, who were meeting in Cairo on Thursday, had "urged brother Jordan to show courage" during this difficult time.
Germany hailed the king's "important role" in the peace process.
Col Moamer Kadhafi of Libya said he hoped Jordan would reconsider its pro-US stance after the demise of King Hussein.