SINCE Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz ascended to the throne after the late King Fahd, Saudi Arabia has never been the same. King Abdullah earned the love of every citizen and expatriate not only by words, but by deeds. Abdullah the King opened his heart to every living soul on the Kingdom's soil. Abdullah the man shed a tear for every Muslim, every woman and every child who suffered in the slightest, regardless of where or who they are. Abdullah the father went out of his way to make sure that all of his sons and daughters within the greater Saudi family lived comfortably and slept soundly. Abdullah the son made a point of adhering to the founding father's principles and doctrines of tolerance, moderation and wisdom in leading not only the Saudi nation, but also the entire Arab and Muslim nations at large. Abdullah the friend reassured every expatriate that they are in their second home, and showed them that their second country cared for them as much as it did for its own. Abdullah the philanthropist never considered the numbers when it came to donating money to those who needed it most. Abdullah the visionary made it clear that the biggest resource the country should invest to its ultimate benefit is its own people. Abdullah made it clear that a leader is not one who commands to be served or serves to be in command, but one who commands by serving. King Abdullah extended his hand in peace even to those who clearly declared his country an enemy. He declared in no uncertain terms that the nation's wealth belongs to all of the nation. From fighting terrorism to national dialogue to economic cities, Abdullah realized that the advancement of a nation is a holistic process that is far more substantial than nicely written speeches and glitzy ribbon-cutting events. Of course, King Abdullah is much, much more than that, but this tiny space cannot even begin to accommodate the saga of the larger-than-life figure. For that, volumes upon volumes might not do. Nevertheless, King Abdullah's biggest achievement is that he taught leaders – and followers – what it means to lead. Abdullah regards himself and his position as King not with the sense of entitlement that he rightly deserves, but sees himself as a trustee presiding over a Kingdom that belongs to a nation. In three short years, he instilled in his nation the concept that over this land, no one has claim. Everyone has claim. __
