Prince Sultan had been holding positions of power since he was 16, and was the deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation for a long time. He died in New York at the age of 80.

“I feel it is tragic. We have lost a huge asset. He was appointed minister of defense and aviation in 1962, was made crown prince in 2005, and has been in positions of power for more than six decades. He was also pro-globalization and for forging international relationships. Now we don't know what is next,” said Musa Fazal, a 26-year-old IT executive in Jeddah.

He said during Prince Sultan’s five decades as defense minister, Saudi Arabia’s policy involved strengthening its defense capabilities. Social media portals such as Twitter and Facebook discussed Prince Sultan’s achievements, history and the nation’s sorrow on his passing.

The Twitter hashtag #PrinceSultan created a buzz among Prince Sultan’s young supporters. Most people used Prince Sultan's picture as their display pictures on BlackBerry handsets and Facebook.

Qubool Alhajri on Twitter wrote Prince Sultan “was one of the strongest supporters of forging close ties with the US, which faced its biggest challenge after 9/11. Oversaw extraordinary expenditure on modernizing the armed forces.”

Another Twitter user named Rainello from Riyadh wrote: “I will always remember the smile on his face I used to see ever since I was a kid. May Allah reward him with Jannah.”

Saudi television canceled scheduled programs on Saturday to broadcast Qur'anic verses accompanied by footage of the Kaaba. Radios followed suit and all stations were only broadcasting news and Qur’anic verses to mourn the loss of Crown Prince Sultan.

Shaimaa Al-Fadl from Alif Alif radio said the station would not air regular programs for at least three days. She added: “Prince Sultan was a different man; he was one of the maaroof — kind and good hearted. He gave a lot to charity and always had a smile on his face. It is a very sad day.”

Khalid Al-Khudair, COO for Markets at KPMG in Saudi, Kuwait and Jordan, told Arab News: “Prince Sultan was a great leader and supporter of reform. (Establishing) nonprofit organizations clearly outlined his passion in helping the community.”

Prince Sultan was a central figure in Saudi decision-making since becoming defense minister in 1962.

Waleed Sarry Shaaban, a student at Dar Jana Int'l School, told Arab News he felt sad to lose such a great man. “He was such a good brother (to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah).”

Dana Rushdie, an 18-year-old student at a private school in Jeddah, was brokenhearted.

“My friends and family are very sad today; we are mourning an immense loss to our country. With so many things going wrong this is just another blow. It is an unfortunate state, like an abyss of despair,” she said in her Twitter post Saturday.

“I will always remember him. I pass by his palace on Sultan Street every day and now his absence will make me sorrowful,” said Zainab Biladi, a 23-year-old teacher in Jeddah.