IT is with the deepest sadness — but also with immense gratitude to a giant of a man and to the most esteemed of friends — that I bid farewell to the prince of princes, Prince Saud Al Faisal. More than 60 years of shared memories, from our happy childhoods together to the last day of his life, are streaming to my mind, each moment cherished like none other. The wisdom and kindness, the care and tenderness he offered his friends and everyone he met — old and young — are a lasting testament to his extraordinary character. It is on this exceptional character that he built the most formidable of legacies, committing his life to serving his country and doing all in his power to make this world a more peaceful one than he found it. He could not rest, he told the New York Times in 2009, with the world as it is when “we have seen only moments of crisis; we have seen only moments of conflict, and how can you have any pleasure in anything that happens when you have people like the Palestinians living as they are?” Patience, dedication, an exceptional mind, a strong heart, and great humility marked the man as we knew him. The passing of this giant will leave a tremendous void not only in our lives, but also on the world political stage. There is not a corner of the world that he did not touch through his words or his actions. To be sure, world leaders were unanimous in paying tribute to Prince Saud much as US Secretary of State John Kerry did, mourning the passing of a friend and “a man of vast experience, personal warmth, great dignity.” It struck me that, from his closest friends to the African gamekeeper, to the world's top leaders, we all knew the same extraordinary human being. We all saw that same spark in his eye, a spark of keen intelligence and profound kindness, the spark that set him apart from everyone else. It will take many people to write about Prince Saud, about his life, his achievements and his dedication, for us to get a full understanding of how vast his contribution to this world, to peace and coexistence was. We all know his successes, but we know less about the many disasters he averted, about his expert steering through times of crisis. His uncles, the Kings of Saudi Arabia, always listened to his advice, valuing his quiet wisdom. Prince Saud knew how to weigh the alternatives and how to choose the best way to bring hope and peace. In Taif in 1989, Prince Saud patiently but determinedly courted all Lebanese factions of a murderous civil war that had shattered a country in sectarian divide. It took 30 days of tireless efforts, but he succeeded — as always, against the odds — in finding an agreement putting an end to a devastating 15-year war. I will let historians, politicians and observers continue to tell the many stories of his achievements, for Saudi Arabia, for the Arab-Muslim world, and for the world at large. I would like to focus here on Saud Al Faisal my friend, the most kind, learned and observant man I have ever known. All those who knew him recognize what a tremendous impact he had on our lives. We all remember sharing moments and laughter with Prince Saud, sharing our views, and learning from his shrewd observation of events. He taught us the courage and humility of exploring our ideas and backing them up with facts, not just emotion, so that we could share our views with confidence. He could dissect any opinion with his tremendous knowledge and experience. When he read a sentence, a wellspring of thoughts leapt from each word, each becoming more defined. That is how his mind operated. Before delivering his own words, there was always that thoughtful, that essential, pause, followed by the perfect diction to suit the occasion, pinpointing the heart of an issue as no one else could have expressed it, shining unanticipated light on a new path that could unify us all on an issue. In politics, compromise was always his endgame — not a compromise over ideas or over hope, but a pragmatic compromise that would get things moving towards an intended goal, for his country, for Arabs, and for the world. I cannot tell you how much fun it was to travel with Prince Saud, seeing this great man in action. On a plane with his staff heading for the annual UN summit, he would spend hours going through his speech, changing words here and commas there, meticulously taking his time to find his way of conveying the message, adding his own flavor to a new policy direction. In between, of course, there were numerous moments of exchange and of laughter. I think back at the summers we spent together in Africa, where we got to see the other side of Prince Saud, as he got the chance to relax his mind after a year of tireless service, tuning into the African surroundings and taking the time to observe animals on their own natural rhythms. There were moments of great excitement and impact, and moments of great serenity, as we witnessed the yearly cycle of renewal with a company of friends in the stillness of Africa. He taught us the value of action and of reflection, of serenity and of energy. He mobilized his inner strength, his boundless mind, and remarkable understanding of others, to meet the greatest challenges and to work towards what was most important, be it the wellbeing of his friends and family, or bringing peace to the world. He never gave up, and taught us to judge each day not by the harvest reaped, but by the seeds planted. To us who knew him, Prince Saud was the wisest of mentors and professors, encouraging us in our explorations, and always seeking the best in people and in situations. The expression ‘voracious reader' was practically invented for him. Like Plutarch though, he knew that “the mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled.” We could sense this when he quoted Shakespeare and it was as though he himself was writing the words as he spoke. When he addressed an international conference in Paris in French, not only were those in attendance surprised by his confidence and his eloquence, he also immediately won the respect and goodwill of all in attendance. Prince Saud was of course also a private and touchingly humble man. He cherished his time with family and friends above all. To get a sense of the full man, one had to see how much his family meant to him, and how much the legacy of his father meant to him. He was so proud, as are we, of the talented Al-Faisals and their kids. We all have so many anecdotes to share that tell of his sense of humour and the latitude of his thinking — the time will come to share them. One day perhaps his life, public and personal, could be portrayed and shared to give the world a sense of the tremendous generosity of this man's life and mind. It is with the unimaginable difficulty that I bid farewell to the greatest friend I have ever had, and the greatest man I have ever had the honor of knowing. My thoughts at this moment are with his family, his friends, and the many lives he has touched. We will profoundly miss that spark in his eye, and the spark that he brought to each of our lives. The world mourns a giant. If I get a moment to talk to him and ask him “What can I bring you from Earth when I see you again,” his answer will undoubtedly be a book.
