Mustafa Al-Hejalian, a shining light from a very noble family in Saudi Arabia, and a dear friend to me and many other people, has sadly left us too early. He is survived by his brother Jamil Al-Hejalian, a prominent diplomat and a towering figure; Salah Al-Hejalian, a prominent lawyer in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East; and of course Mohammed Al-Hejalian, an ambassador of the Kingdom working at the Foreign Ministry, to name but a few members of this exceptional and distinguished family, each of whom has served their country with distinction and left their mark on their society and far beyond.
Mustafa's premature death at the age of 54 is a tremendous loss to us all and to our country. This debonair character with his Erroll Flynn mustache, his engaging smile and his sharp mind played a vital role in identifying and achieving key business deals for Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, chairman of Kingdom Holding.
Prince Alwaleed hired him to handle acquisitions for Kingdom Holding at a time when his was just a small company, and Mustafa played a key role in seeing it grow into one of the world's most successful companies.
We will always remember Mustafa for his kindness, his honesty, and his clever assessment of opportunities that saved those of us who listened to his advice much time and much money.
I will be forever grateful to have met and known an individual whose energy, whose youth and industriousness contributed so much to our lives and to the life of our country.
Goodbye my friend, you will live on in our hearts, and your children will always carry within them the knowledge that their father was a noble and honorable figure whose achievements and kindness in life will have left their mark on so many of us.
