Prince Saud al Faisal

Saudi foreign minister Born: January 2, 1940; Died: July 9, 2015. SAUDI Arabia’s Prince Saud al Faisal, who has died aged 75, was the world’s longest-serving foreign minister.

With 40 years in the post, the prince, who was one of the sons of the late King Faisal, was a fixture of Middle East diplomacy.

He wielded the country’s influence in a succession of crises in the region.

These included Lebanon’s civil war in the 1970s and 1980s, the 1990 Iraqi invasion of neighbouring Kuwait and the subsequent Gulf War.

His tenure also included the September 11 attacks in New York, the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq, the Arab Spring uprisings, Syria’s civil war and the spread of Islamic State extremists.

He was born in Taif, Saudi Arabia, and was the second son of the prince who became Saudi Arabia’s third king, Faisal, who ruled from 1964 until he was assassinated in 1975.

After earning a bachelor’s degree in economics from Princeton University in 1964, Saud began his government career serving in the Ministry of Petroleum.

He was appointed as the deputy petroleum minister before he was named foreign minister.

This was a post his father also had held.

The young pr ince, who was fluent in English and French, brought an air of sophistication and charisma to the role, whether he was wearing crisp suits or was in the traditional Saudi white robe and gold-trimmed black cloak.

Softly spoken, he often showed a sense of humour which was not frequently seen among the royal family in public.

He played a key role in repairing the relationship with the United St ates after the September 11 attacks back in 2001, in which a total of 15 of the 19 hijackers were Saudi nationals.

He insisted in public speeches that Islam and Muslims were not the enemy.

In a 2004 address at the European Policy Centre in Br ussels, he stated: “You cannot dismiss a 1,400-yearold culture and civilisation by stigmatising it as merely a hatchery for terrorism.”

After the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq ousted Saddam Hussein, Saudi Arabia often bristled over the conse- quences — the rise of Shiite power in Baghdad and the growing influence there of Shiite-led Iran, the kingdom’s leading rival.

Mamoun Fandy, author of Saudi Arabia and the Politics of Dissent, said Saud’s death marked the end of an era as the elder royals shift power to younger princes.

“The history of Saudi foreign policy is al Faisal, both him and his father,” he said.

“It’s how the world knew Saudi Arabia, through al Faisal.”

The prince’s death was announced by the government-owned media.

No cause was given, but he had undergone multiple surgeries in recent years for his back and to treat other ailments.

He cited health reasons upon his retirement back in April.

His survivors include three sons and three daughters.