Order of King Abdulaziz

Order of King Abdulaziz
Insignia of the Order of Abdulaziz Al Saud (2nd grade) Star of the Order of Abdulaziz Al Saud
Awarded by Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Type	order of merit with 5 degrees
Established	20 March 1971
Status	currently constituted
Precedence
Next (higher)	Great Chain of Badr
Next (lower)	Order of King Faysal
Ribbon bar of the Order of King Abdulaziz Al Saud

The Order of King Abdulaziz is a Saudi-Arabian Order of Merit. The order was named after Abdulaziz Al Saud, founder of the modern Saudi state.^[1]

History

In 1971, the introduction of orders was announced in a decree.^[2][3] It was instituted by King Faisal on 20 March 1971.^[4] However, the order had been awarded before that date unsystematically.^[5] These earliest versions were produced by Bichay in Cairo, Egypt.^[5] The early version of the order was called Great Chain of Badr. The Saudi king, Fons honorum of the orders, confirmed the decree in his Royal decree.^[6]

The Collar of Abdulaziz Al Saud

The collar is regarded as a separate order. It also confers the highest rank in the Order of Abdulaziz Al Saud, and, unlike the Great Chain of Badr, is awarded to non-Muslim heads of state.

The Order of Abdulaziz Al Saud

The order is awarded to citizens of Saudi Arabia and foreigners for meritorious service to the Kingdom. The Council of Ministers makes the nominations but the King confers awards to foreigners himself when he determines it to be appropriate. Awardees enter in the 4th class of the order, with the exception of ministers and appointees for bravery, who can enter the order in a higher class. Members of the order can advance to the next higher class every five years.

The number of Saudi conferments is limited annually. The statutes of the order stipulate no more than 20 grand sashes of the distinguished class. Up to 40, 60, 80 and 100 awards can be granted to members of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th classes, respectively.

Classes

The Classes include:

• Special Class (comparable with "Grand Cordon"). A sash with pendant is worn on the right shoulder, plus a star on the left chest;
• Distinguished First Class (comparable with "Grand Officer"). The insignia is worn on a necklet, plus a golden star on the left chest;
• First Class (comparable with "Commander 1st Class"). The insignia is worn on a necklet, plus a silver star on the left chest;
• Second Class (comparable with "Commander"). The insignia is worn on a necklet;
• Third Class (comparable with "Officer"). A badge is worn on a ribbon with a rosette on the left chest;
• Fourth Class (comparable with "Knight"). A badge is worn on a ribbon on the left chest.

The Saudis avoid words like "cross" (as in "Grand-Cross") and "knight".

The order is sometimes referred to as the:

• King Abdulaziz Order of Merit
• King Abdulaziz Al Saud Excellence Medal
• King Abdulaziz Medal

Notable recipients

Saudi royalty

• Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud^[7]
• Fahd bin Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Saud^[8]
• Nayef bin Abdulaziz Al Saud – King Abdulaziz Medal (First Class)^[9]
• Sara bint Faisal bin Abdulaziz – King Abdulaziz Medal (First Class; 2013)^[10]
• Sattam bin Abdulaziz Al Saud – King Abdulaziz Medal (First Class)^[11]
• Khalid bin Bandar Al Saud (2011)^[12]
• Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud – King Abdulaziz Medal (First Class; 2011)^[13]
• Turki bin Nasser Al Saud – King Abdulaziz Medal (First Class)^[14]
• Al Waleed bin Talal Al Saud – King Abdulaziz Medal (First Class; 2002)^[15]
• Talal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud– King Abdulaziz Sash (Special Class; 1976)^[16]
• Dr. Ziyad bin Mohammad Alshahrani -King Abdulaziz Medal (First Class)

Politicians and officials

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi being conferred the award by King Salman.

• Donald J. Trump – President of the United States of America, Collar of Abdulaziz Al Saud (20 May 2017)^[17]
• Theresa May – Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (6 April 2017)^[18]
• Narendra Modi – Prime Minister of India, Order of Abdulaziz Al Saud (Special Class, 3 April 2016)^[19]
• Jacob Zuma – President of South Africa (March 2016)^[20]
• Xi Jinping – President of the People's Republic of China, Medal of King Abdulaziz (20 January 2016)^[21]
• Enrique Peña Nieto – President of Mexico, Order of Abdulaziz Al Saud (Special Class, 17 January 2016)
• Joko Widodo – President of Indonesia, Medal of King Abdulaziz (First Class, September 2015)^[22]
• Abdel Fattah el-Sisi – President of Egypt, Medal of King Abdulaziz (First Class; August 2014)^[23]
• François Hollande – Former President of France, (Special Class, 30 December 2013)
• David Cameron – Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (November 2012)^[24]
• Najib Tun Razak – Prime Minister of Malaysia, Medal of King Abdulaziz (First Class, 19 January 2010)^[25]
• Silvio Berlusconi – Former Prime Minister of Italy, Order of Abdulaziz Al Saud (First Class; 22 November 2009)^[26]
• Barack Obama – Former President of the United States, King Abdul Aziz Order of Merit (June 2009)^[27]
• Mohammad Al Jasser – Saudi minister, Medal of King Abdulaziz (First Class; May 2009)^[28]
• George W. Bush – Former President of the United States, Medal of King Abdulaziz (First Class; 14 January 2008)^[1]
• Shinzō Abe – Prime Minister of Japan, Order of Abdulaziz Al Saud (Special Class; April 2007)^[29]
• Vladimir Putin – President of Russia (2007)^[30]
• Sabah Al Khalid Al Sabah – Kuwaiti royal and politician, Medal of King Abdulaziz (First Class)^[31]
• Edmond Leburton – Former Prime Minister of Belgium
• Bill Clinton – Former President of the United States

Military

• Tariq Majid – Pakistan's Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (2009)^[32]

Lt General James Ahmann – USAF Commander USMTM

• Pervez Musharraf – Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff
• Raheel Sharif – Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff^[33]
• Ali Shamkhani – Former Defence Minister of Iran^[34]
• Sir Alan William John West – Chief of British Naval Staff, (2004), Medal of King Abdulaziz (First Class)^[35]
• Katsutoshi Kawano – Chief of Staff of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, (February, 2014)
• Stephane Abrial – Former SACT
• Denis Mercier – Former Chief of Staff of the French Air Force
• Necdet Özel - Chief of Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces, (2012)
• Zubair Mahmood Hayat – Pakistan's Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee

Others

• Krzysztof Płomiński – Polish diplomat
• Sir Alan Munro – British diplomat^[36]
• Dr John Ind – British Physician for services to the Royal Family and the Medical Services Department of the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Defence by Order of HM King Abdullah bin Abdelaziz al Saud (First Class).

See also

• Photos of the Order
• Guy Stair Sainty and Rafal Heydel-Mankoo, World Orders of Knighthood and Merit" (ISBN 0971196672), London 2006.

References