Prince Saud Al-Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, who was the world’s longest-serving foreign minister, has passed away in the United States. He was 75.
Prince Saud Al-Faisal was appointed to the post in 1975 and stayed on until last April. Upon his retirement from the foreign ministry, he was designated as minister of state, member of the cabinet, adviser to and special envoy of the Saudi monarch and supervisor of foreign affairs. By the time of his retirement, he was the world’s longest-serving foreign minister. His replacement is Adel Al-Jubair, a former Saudi ambassador to the United States.
Prince Saud, son of the late King Faisal, was born in Taif in 1940. He graduated from Princeton University with a bachelor of arts degree in economics and joined the ministry of petroleum soon after. He held several positions at the ministry and became deputy minister in 1971.
Prince Saud is the full brother of Prince Turki Al-Faisal, former head of Saudi intelligence and ambassador to the UK and the US. He is survived by three sons and three daughters.