End of an era as Saud Al-Faisal dies

Prince Saud Al-Faisal Bin Abdelaziz Al-Saud, foreign minister of Saudi Arabia for a remarkable four decades, died on 9 July at the age of 75. A statement from the Royal Court said the prince, who had retired from his ministerial role in April on grounds of ill-health, was in the United States when he died; his body, accompanied by his sons, was returned home and buried on 11 July at the Al-Adl cemetery in Mecca. The son of Saudi Arabia’s third king, Faisal Bin Abdelaziz (r.1964-75), Prince Saud earned great respect on the diplomatic circuit, where he stood out not just for his experience, but also for his sophistication, humour and kindness.