RIYADH — Prince Saud Al-Faisal, state minister, cabinet member, adviser and special envoy to the King and supervisor of foreign affairs, thanked Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman in a reply to a cable sent to him by the King. “The King's words demonstrate his generosity and real mettle, and they are more than what is deserving of my humble personality, and greater than what I had done as minister of foreign affairs,” he said in a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency on Saturday. In a cable to Prince Saud on Friday, the King said to relieve him of his duties was one of the most difficult and hard decisions. The King said he only responded to Prince Saud's request after “repeated insistence,” adding that the former foreign minister would be “close to him and to the work Prince Saud loved and worked hard for.” King Salman acknowledged that Prince Saud's request included feelings of sincere loyalty to his religion, King and homeland. Prince Saud also thanked foreign ministers of various countries who commended his work as the foreign minister. “Our joint efforts have contributed to building excellent relations among nations, featuring love and respect. We made continuous efforts to solve problems and international crises with a desire to realize global security and stability as well as the welfare and prosperity of the peoples,” he said. Prince Saud also thanked the entire staff at the foreign ministry for extending very good support throughout his stint as the minister. Earlier this week, the King had relieved Prince Saud of his duties, upon his request due to health reasons, in a major government reshuffle that saw the appointment of Adel Al-Jubeir as the new foreign minister.
