The list included British Prime Minister David Cameron, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen, Brazilian President Lula da Silva, South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak, Liberia's President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, and Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed.

The US magazine lauded King Abdullah as a reformer “who has given the go-ahead to modernize schools, has appointed women to high office and invested in science and technology and nuclear power initiatives.”

It commended the king’s efforts to fight terrorism and extremism, adding that the Saudi leader had urged Muslims “to embrace the spirit of tolerance, moderation and balance.”