The shocking news of Prince Ahmad ibn Salman’s death reached me mid afternoon yesterday.

His Royal Highness and I were close associates over the last 10 years, he as chairman of the Saudi Research and Marketing Group and I as a member of the board and director general.

That period under his chairmanship saw unprecedented achievements in the growth of SRMG, which built and owns the leading Arab media empire.

As a young businessman, Prince Ahmad took up the leadership of the group in his early thirties. Heading a team of just a few individuals, he changed the group to a holding company and developed the business from there.

Wisely seeking and incorporating the experience of colleagues within the group, Prince Ahmad overcame the initial challenges faced by the company and steered it to success.

The road was not always smooth. However, with wisdom and judiciousness and an open willingness to the strengths and wisdom of colleagues for the benefit of the company, he and the other members including Abdul Moshen Al-Akkas, Muhammad Al-Shibani, Hassan Abdul Rahman and Ahmad Mahmood Al-Dossari held firm and won through.

Prince Ahmad was always very keen to give full respect and due recognition to the publishers in the group, Hisham and Muhammad Hafiz, who were the founders of the Arab News which was the first English language newspaper in the Kingdom.

A very tangible achievement that stands as a testament to his energy and guidance in the short tenure of his chairmanship is the huge increase in the group’s capital from just SR22 million to over SR600 million, quite apart from the assets now exceeding SR2 billion.

My respect and condolences for Prince Ahmad are not based solely on his undeniable skills, but on my admiration for his personal generosity and broadness of heart.

He was very much a real person as well as businessman. He knew anger, but never hate; he occasionally forgot, but never neglected; he held strong opinions, but valued and respected others for theirs.

Most admirably if he erred like any other human, he was quick to correct his mistakes when they were brought to his attention.

The ease with which he won friends has left a legacy of good will with many people around the world, both in the world of business and horse breeding, his life’s passion.

I am weighed down with sorrow at his parting, and I pray to Allah to give patience and strength to his bereaved family, friends and admirers who have to endure this separation.

(The writer is the chairman of the board of directors of Sharaka Development Company and Specialized Network Marketing Services Company)