Saudi- A guiding force for decades

(MENAFN- Arab News) Enjoying the distinction of being the longest-serving foreign minister in the world (1975-2015) Prince Saud Al-Faisal was a guiding force to reckon with.
During these tough years Prince Saud played a significant role with the kings he served under to shape the Kingdom's response to the crises affecting the Middle East one after another.
An avid reader who had a depth knowledge of international relations Prince Saud served under four king. His mandate as the Kingdom's foreign minister for four decades drew to a close after rendering his valuable services to the Kingdom under King Khaled King Fahd King Abdullah and King Salman.
He was brought to the helm of the Foreign Ministry by King Khaled in October 1975 seven months after his father King Faisal was assassinated.
During his tenure Prince Saud oversaw the Kingdom's emergence as a major diplomatic player facing successive regional crises and maintaining a focus on relations with the US and Europe.
Prince Saud helped the Kingdom negotiate the pivotal agreement that ended Lebanon's 15-year civil war (1975-1990) as he played the key role in pulling off the famous Taif accord between Lebanese warring factions. Moreover the seasoned diplomat with in-depth knowledge of foreign policies was also in charge during the 1980-1988 Iraq-Iran war and the 1990 invasion of Kuwait by Iraq that resulted in the 1991 Gulf War in which the Kingdom provided the launch-pad for coalition forces to restore Kuwait's independence.
In the post-9/11 atmosphere when terrorism was a grave issue he played important role as the Kingdom took on suspected Al-Qaeda militants amid a spate of violent disturbances in 2003.
He also played key role amid the Shiite disturbances in Bahrain in 2011 as the Kingdom and the UAE sent ground troops to quell protesters. Moreover he guided the Kingdom to stand firm with the people in Palestine against Israeli occupation of their land and other atrocities and supported the Syrian people against dictatorial regime and harsh rule of Bashar Assad.
Notably the Kingdom rejected becoming a member of an ineffective UN Security Council in October 2013 citing as reasons the failure of the body to resolve global conflicts including the long-standing Palestinian issue Syrian civil war and freeing the Middle East of weapons of mass destruction.
'The UNSC needs to reform so that it can fulfill its mandate of ensuring world peace' said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs then led by Prince Saud. His performance and friendly diplomacy won the admiration of many of his counterparts and world leaders. Although he was critical of the ambiguity in US policy during the unrest in the region that followed the intervention in Iraq he remained a close friend who either frequently visited Washington or received top US officials in the Kingdom.
One of them John Kerry secretary of state expressed his admiration saying: 'During these four decades at the highest levels of international diplomacy Prince Saud helped guide Saudi Arabia through an ever-more-complicated world. I will continue to seek his counsel and value his friendship forged over many hours spent discussing the challenges our nations face.'
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) leaders also applauded the extraordinary efforts during his last four decades in the service of the Arab Gulf.
'Prince Saud will be remembered in history for his wisdom far-reaching vision and knowledge of international relations and regional politics that was indeed helpful to safeguard council members from regional and international disturbances.'
In a statement after stepping down as foreign minister Prince Saud said: 'The Saudi citizens be they females or males have expressed impressive remarks to describe my long-serving Foreign Ministry performance. The comments I received through the phone personal correspondence and social outlets are like a medal of credit which I hope I deserve.'