Riyadh: Saudi Arabia’s Prince Saud Al Faisal (pictured), formerly the world’s longest-serving foreign minister who oversaw four decades of diplomacy for the kingdom, has died, family members and an official said yesterday.
Prince Saud, born in 1940, was one of the highest-profile members of the ruling elite before stepping down in April for health reasons. He oversaw Saudi Arabia’s emergence as a major diplomatic player, facing regional crises and maintaining a focus on relations with the West.
Nawaf Al Faisal, a relative, announced the death on Facebook, while a foreign ministry spokesman confirmed it on Twitter and expressed condolences. Prince Saud’s nephew Saud Mohammed Al Abdullah Al Faisal also acknowledged the death. “May God accept him in paradise,” he wrote on Twitter. Agencies
Doha: Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani sent a cable of condolences to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud following the death of Prince Saud bin Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Minister of State, Member of Council of Ministers, Adviser and Special Envoy of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and Supervisor of Foreign Affairs.
Deputy Emir H H Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Thani and Prime Minister and Interior Minister H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani also sent similar cables. QNA
