| Saud al-Faisal | |
|---|---|
| Minister of Foreign Affairs | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office October 13, 1975 |
|
| Monarch | King Khalid King Fahd King Abdullah |
| Preceded by | Faisal |
| Personal details | |
| Born | January 2, 1941 Taif, Saudi Arabia |
| Nationality | Saudi Arabia |
| Alma mater | Hun School of Princeton Princeton University |
Saud bin Faisal bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud (Arabic: سعود بن فيصل بن عبد العزيز آل سعود), also known as Saud Al Faisal, has been the Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia since 1975. He is the world's longest-serving Foreign Minister.
He is the son of the late King Faisal. He is a brother of the influential Prince Turki and Prince Khalid, Governor of the Makkah Province. He is a nephew of the present King Abdullah.
Contents |
Saud was born in Taif, Saudi Arabia in 1941. He is the third son of the late King Faisal.[1] He attended the Hun School of Princeton[2] and graduated from Princeton University in 1964 with a Bachelor of Science in Economics.[3]
He became an economic consultant for the Ministry of Petroleum.[3] In 1966, he was moved to General Organization for Petroleum and Mineral Resources (Petromin).[3] In February 1970, he became Deputy Governor of Petromin for Planning Affairs.[3] In 1971, he became Deputy Minister of Ministry of Petroleum.[3] He was also a member of the High Coordination Committee.[3]
In 1975, King Khalid made him Foreign Minister. He is currently the world's longest-serving incumbent foreign minister. He is well regarded in the diplomatic community.[4] He speaks 7 languages.[4]
In 1985, he raised awareness in Britain of Soviet activity in the Horn of Africa.[1]
He wanted Condoleezza Rice to focus on "key substantive issues" of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
He complained that US banks were auditing Saudi Embassy banks illegally. He asserted auditors were "inappropriate and aggressive". He also declared that the Saudi Embassy has diplomatic immunity.[5]
In July 2004, he claimed the real source of problems in the Middle East were not Muslims but "injustice and deprivation inflicted in the region".[6] On August 2007, he denied allegations that terrorist were crossing the Iraq-Saudi border and claimed it was vice-versa.[7][8]
In July 2006, he urged U.S. President Bush to call for a ceasefire in the Lebanon bombing.[9]
In January 2008, he supported parliamentary elections in Pakistan. He indicated that Pakistan did not need "overt, external interference" to solve political division. He commended Nawaz Sharif as stable bipartisan candidate.[10]
In February 2010, he told General Jones to distinguish between friends and enemies in Pakistan rather than using indiscriminate military action. He insisted that Pakistan's army must maintain its credibility.[11]
In November 2010, he led the Saudi delegation at the G-20 Summit.[12]
In January 2011, he withdrew out of mediation efforts to reinstate a government in Lebanon.[13]
In March 2011, he went to Europe to rally support for Saudi Arabia's intervention in Bahrain.[14]
Rather than military action on Iran, he has called for tougher sanctions such as travel bans and further bank lending restrictions. [15] He has stated U.S. foreign policy has tilted more power for Iran.[16] He has compared the Iranian influence in Iraq with Iranian influence in Lebanon.[5] He commended positive developments by Iran such as its influence over Hezbollah to end street protests.[5]
In 2008, According to leaked diplomatic memos, he accused UN troops in Lebanon of doing nothing. He also expressed concerns over Iran's influence over Hezbollah.[17]
In early 2011, he expressed fear of the "dangerous" instability in Lebanon after the fall of the Hariri government. He also stated that Lebanon's ability to establish peaceful coexistence with so many different groups may be a significant loss in the Arab world if the nation failed in creating a government.[13]
Saudi foreign policy is designed by the King, not by the Foreign Minister.[1] He has worked closely with King Khalid, King Fahd and King Abdullah.
He was firmly anti-Soviet and is an Arab nationalist.[1] He was more resistant to Israeli proposals than King Fahd.[1] He lamented his legacy might be defined "by profound disappointment than by success". He regrets how his generation of leaders have failed to create a Palestinian state.[4] He encouraged Iraqis to defend their country's sovereignty.[18]
His relationship with King Fahd was strained.[1] He is one of King Abdullah's closest allies. He has led Saudi Arabia's efforts to redefine its international image after the September 11 attacks. He is mentioned as a candidate to Saudi Arabia's line of succession. However he has recently suffered health deterioration. He does not hold majlis unlike other Saudi royals which has been cause for speculation that he is not interested in kingship.[19]
He is married, with three sons and three daughters. He is one of the trustees of the King Faisal Foundation. He lives in Jeddah.[5]
He has been described (by the British Ministry of Defence) as "tall, handsome, and articulate".[1] He is reportedly very friendly. Unlike other members of the Al Saud, he often speaks publicly and interacts a lot with reporters.[20] He speaks excellent English. He likes to play tennis.[1] He has Parkinson's disease and back pain.[20] He recently returned home after having surgery in California.[20] His physical appearance has shown signs of health deterioration and he has difficulty standing upright.[20]
|
|
|||||