David Cameron has paid tribute to Saudi Arabia’s Prince Saud al-Faisal, the world’s longest-serving foreign minister, for his “great wisdom” following his death aged 75.
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Prince Saud, who was 75, was the world’s longest-serving foreign minister when replaced on April 29 by Adel al-Jubeir, the then-ambassador to Washington.
“May God accept him in paradise”, a nephew, Saud Mohammed al-Abdullah al-Faisal, wrote on Twitter.
The son of King Faisal, Prince Saud was born in 1940, and was among the first generation to receive both a traditional and a Western education. Arab League chief Nabil al-Arabi said the world had lost a “noble” diplomat.
“I wish I could deny the rumour of the news of your death”, the spokesman Osama Nugali tweeted.
King Salman came to the throne in January after the death of his half-brother King Abdullah.
In his condolence message, the Prime Minister said that his death was a great loss not only for the people of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia but also the people of Pakistan.
He was was appointed foreign minister in 1975.
Prince Saud helped Saudi Arabia through numerous crises in the Middle East, including three Israeli invasions of Lebanon, two U.S-led wars against Iraq, Palestinian uprisings and the current violence in Yemen, in which the Saudis are leading an Arab coalition against Houthi rebels.
“The longevity of his term in office – he served with 13 USA secretaries of state – is a sign of the universal respect with which he was viewed”, Kerry said in separate statement from Obama.
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Prince Saud studied economics at Princeton University in the USA in the 1960s.
