The Shoura Council suspended its sittings on Sunday out of respect for the crown prince, whose funeral will take place in Riyadh on Tuesday.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the council said: "Prince Sultan remained a symbol of true statesmanship, greatness and benevolence."

The council expressed its deep condolences to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, Interior Minister and Second Deputy Premier Prince Naif, members of the royal family and to citizens of the country. It said his death was a great loss to the motherland, Arabs and Muslims.

Reviewing Crown Prince Sultan's contributions in the administrative, military, economic and humanitarian fields, the statement said he had contributed a great deal to the nation's development. "He had a strong vision and political wisdom, and he was responsible for the Kingdom's administrative developments by chairing the Ministerial Committee for Administrative Organizations and several other important organizations in the Kingdom.”

Crown Prince Sultan was solely responsible for introducing advanced military equipment to the country to maintain security in the Kingdom as well as in the region. "He used his good office for the training of military personnel and building military academies in the Kingdom on par with global standards," the council statement said.

"In the humanitarian field, the crown prince helped deserving people, including widows, the poor and physically handicapped. Sultan Foundation and Sultan Humanitarian City will remain as indelible impressions carrying his memory."

The Sultan bin Abdul Aziz Humanitarian City has a structured, interdisciplinary approach to rehabilitation, with consideration given to the specialized needs of patients and their disabilities.

The city is a 400-bed rehabilitation hospital and medical center opened in October 2002 to provide care to both inpatients and outpatients. The facility covers an area of more than 1,000,000 square meters, and is located in the Banban area just north of Riyadh.

The Shoura also expressed its sincere appreciation to the crown prince for the support and assistance rendered to the council in its progressive march during his lifetime.

Meanwhile, in a condolence message, Health Minister Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah said the crown prince had contributed a great deal toward developing health care facilities and services in the Kingdom.

"Because of his caring efforts, the Ministry of Health was able to take specialized medical facilities and services to the doorstep of people in all health regions," he said, adding that Prince Sultan’s services rendered to the nation will be remembered by the country forever.