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| Prince Saud al-Faisal |
Saudi Arabia's Prince Saud al-Faisal, formerly the world's longest-serving foreign minister who oversaw four decades of turbulent diplomacy for the oil-rich kingdom, died on Thursday.
A statement from the Royal Court said Prince Saud, who was born in 1940, died in the United States.
It did not give the cause of death but said funeral prayers would be held on Saturday night in the Muslim holy city of Mecca.
Prince Saud was one of the highest profile members of the kingdom's ruling elite before stepping down in April for health reasons.
The prince often swapped his traditional Saudi thobe and checkered shemagh headdress for elegant suits when on missions in Western capitals.
He oversaw Saudi Arabia's emergence as a major diplomatic player, facing successive regional crises and maintaining a focus on relations with the West.
"He was a symbol of honesty and hard work," the Royal Court said.
Relatives earlier announced Saud's death on social media. » | AFP | Friday, July 10, 2015
THE GUARDIAN: Former Saudi foreign minister Prince Saud al-Faisal dies: Prince had overseen nation’s emergence as a major diplomatic player, facing successive regional crises and maintaining a focus on relations with the west » | Agence France-Presse in Riyadh | Thursday, July 9, 2015
Le prince saoudien Fayçal est mort »
