Prince Saud Al-Faisal

Prince Saud Al-Faisal is Prince Saud bin Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Minister of State, member of the Council of Ministers, adviser and special envoy to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and supervisor of foreign affairs, who served as Saudi Arabia's Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1975 to 2015, succeeding his father King Faisal bin Abdulaziz, during the reigns of four kings of the Kingdom. [1][2]

He spent more than forty years at the head of Saudi diplomacy, during which he worked with twelve Secretaries of State of the United States, and contributed to the negotiations for full Saudi ownership of Aramco and to addressing the crises of the region, foremost among them the Palestinian cause, the Lebanese crisis and the Arab Peace Initiative. [3][4][7][8]

Prince Saud Al-Faisal graduated from Princeton University in the United States in 1964 and began his government work as an economic adviser in the office of the Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources. [4]

Prince Saud Al-Faisal took part in the meetings of the Arab oil ministers in 1973, at which it was decided to cut oil production and ban oil exports to certain countries, and he contributed to the talks and negotiations with international oil companies in various countries over raising prices and participating in them. [4]

He undertook long rounds and extended discussions of negotiations with the four American companies that then owned Aramco, in pursuit of the government's wish to control its petroleum resources and to acquire Saudi Aramco in full, which was achieved on the first of January 1976. [4]

Prince Saud Al-Faisal took over the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1975, succeeding his father King Faisal bin Abdulaziz, and remained at its head until 2015, more than forty years, during the reigns of four kings of the Kingdom. [2][3]

During this period he worked with twelve Secretaries of State of the United States, [3] then in 2015 he left the ministry when he was appointed Minister of State, a member of the Council of Ministers, an adviser and special envoy to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and supervisor of foreign affairs, and he was succeeded at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir, who was then the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques' ambassador to the United States. [5][7]

Prince Saud Al-Faisal stood by Lebanon in many of its difficult moments and helped resolve its crises, most notably through his role in shaping the Taif Agreement. [6]

He took part in the negotiations to end the Lebanese Civil War and helped launch the Arab Peace Initiative. [7]

He carried the Palestinian cause in his heart and mind throughout his life and made many political efforts after Israel's incursion into Lebanon, among them securing the departure of Palestinian President Yasser Arafat. [8]

The “Saud of the Homelands” conference to honour Prince Saud Al-Faisal was held at the King Abdulaziz International Conference Centre in Riyadh in Rajab 1437 AH, corresponding to April 2016. [9]

The Kingdom of Bahrain announced its intention to name one of its streets after him in recognition of his legacy, on the directive of the Bahraini monarch King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. [12]

The Prince Saud Al-Faisal Institute for Diplomatic Studies, affiliated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, bears his name and is concerned with training Saudi diplomats, [13] and the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies published “Kashshaf Saud Al-Faisal fi Umm al-Qura” in 505 pages after surveying the Umm al-Qura newspaper from 1940 to 2015; it covers aspects of his life from his birth to his death. [2]

His death was announced and condolences for him were received officially on 22 Ramadan 1436 AH, corresponding to 9 July 2015, [10] and his body arrived after the afternoon of 24 Ramadan 1436 AH, corresponding to 11 July 2015, at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah. [11]

Q: Who is Prince Saud Al-Faisal? A: He is Prince Saud bin Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Minister of State, member of the Council of Ministers, adviser and special envoy to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and supervisor of foreign affairs, and Saudi Arabia's Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1975 to 2015. [1][2]

Q: How long did he serve at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs? A: More than forty years, from 1975 to 2015, during the reigns of four kings of the Kingdom, in the course of which he worked with twelve Secretaries of State of the United States. [2][3]

Q: What was his role in the ownership of Aramco? A: He conducted negotiations with the four American companies that then owned Aramco, in pursuit of the government's wish to control its petroleum resources, and full Saudi ownership of Aramco was achieved on the first of January 1976. [4]

Q: What were his most prominent regional diplomatic milestones? A: Standing by Lebanon and his role in shaping the Taif Agreement, negotiating an end to the Lebanese Civil War, helping to launch the Arab Peace Initiative, and his efforts on the Palestinian cause, including securing the departure of Palestinian President Yasser Arafat. [6][7][8]

Q: What are the most prominent honours and documentation of his life? A: The “Saud of the Homelands” conference in Riyadh in 2016, the naming of one of the Kingdom of Bahrain's streets after him, the Prince Saud Al-Faisal Institute for Diplomatic Studies bearing his name, and the publication of “Kashshaf Saud Al-Faisal fi Umm al-Qura”. [9][12][13][2]

Prince Saud Al-Faisal's career combines more than forty years at the head of the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the oil-sector negotiations that culminated in full Saudi ownership of Aramco, prominent regional diplomatic milestones, and the continuation of his name in an institute for diplomatic studies and a compendium that documents his life. [2][4][13]