Manama: Saudi Arabia and the Arab world have paid emotional tribute to Prince Saud Al Faisal as the world’s longest serving foreign minister was buried in Makkah on Saturday evening.
Saudi King Salman Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud led the funeral prayers at the Grand Mosque following the Isha prayers amid a crowd of princes, relatives, representatives from several countries and common people who insisted on paying their respect to the prince.
Prince Saud died on Thursday in Los Angeles and the flag-draped coffin carrying his body was flown on a private plane from the US city to King Abdul Aziz airport in the Red Sea Port city of Jeddah before it was taken to the Grand Mosque in Makkah for the funeral prayers.
Kuwait’s Emir Shaikh Sabah Al Ahmad and Bahrain’s Deputy Prime Minister Shaikh Mohammad Bin Mubarak Al Khalifa – a veteran foreign minister- were among the high-profile personalities who attended the funeral prayers.
Several foreign ministers of Arab and Islamic countries were also present at the prayers.
Following the burial at a graveyard in Makkah, kept simple in line with the local traditions, King Salman received the brothers and sons of the deceased.
The king also received several calls from leaders who extended their condolences on the death of the man who oversaw four decades of particularly challenging foreign policy.
Prince Khalid Al Faisal, Advisor to King Salman and Governor of Makkah, will receive at his home in Jeddah people extending their condolences on the death of his brother.
Messages of condolences and sympathy have been full of praise for Prince Saud.
“His death is a terrible loss for the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), the Arab League and the Islamic world,” Bahrain’s King Hamad said. “He was able to embody the foreign policy of his country calling for peace, justice, the preservation of rights and the endorsement and defense of the Arab and Islamic just causes. He had vast experience and impressive political wisdom as well as remarkable far-sightedness and an ability to address political issues in the most challenging times, earning him regional, Arab and international appreciation and respect,” the king said in his message of condolences.
Several columnists devoted their pieces to praising Prince Saud, a high-class diplomat equally at ease in the traditional Arabian thawb or in fashionably designed suits and who spoke effortlessly, without detours, in both Arabic and English.
The columnists unanimously stressed his role and influence in the world of international politics as “very obvious” and highlighted his stances as “remarkably strong.”
