Prince Naif — a champion of peace and stability

Crown Prince Naif, who was Saudi Arabia’s No. 1 security man and a leading administrator, passed away yesterday at the age of 78. As the country’s interior minister for 37 years, he spearheaded the Kingdom’s war on terrorism.
Crown Prince Naif’s body will be buried in Makkah today after funeral prayer at the Grand Mosque following the Maghreb prayer, a Royal Court announcement said. World leaders will attend the funeral.
"With deep sorrow and grief, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah announced the death of his brother, Crown Prince Naif who passed away abroad on Saturday,” the Royal Court said.
"The Royal Court condoles the Saudi people on the crown prince’s death, praying to the Almighty to bless his soul and reward him for his services to his religion and homeland,'' the Royal Court said in a brief statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency.
World leaders sent condolences. Offering his condolences, US President Barack Obama praised Crown Prince Naif for helping to build a US-Saudi partnership on counterterrorism.
“Under his leadership, the United States and Saudi Arabia developed a strong and effective partnership in the fight against terrorism, one that has saved countless American and Saudi lives,” Obama said in a statement.
“On behalf of the American people, I would like to offer my deepest condolences to King Abdullah, the royal family, and the people of Saudi Arabia.”
French President Francois Hollande offered his condolences saying France had lost “a friend.”
“Saudi Arabia has lost a statesman who left his mark on the development of his country and contributed decisively to its security and the common fight against terrorism,” a statement from Hollande’s office said. King Abdullah received calls from Turkish President Abdullah Gul, Bahrain’s King Hamad, Morocco’s King Muhammad, Egyptian military ruler Field Marshal Muhammad Hussein Tantawi and Tunisian President Munsif Al-Marzouqi on the crown prince’s death.
“Prince Naif’s death comes following a life full of achievements and contributions in the service of the Kingdom, the Arab and Islamic Ummah (community),” the Bahraini king said, adding that Crown Prince Naif had worked for the success of Arab and Islamic causes and strengthening Saudi relations with other countries.
King Hamad of Bahrain also highlighted Crown Prince Naif’s great contributions to Saudi Arabia’s development in all fields and his efforts to promote the Kingdom’s relations with Bahrain and other GCC countries as well as to strengthen the GCC.
Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, Jazan Gov. Prince Muhammad bin Nasser and other regional governors expressed their deep sorrow over Crown Prince Naif’s death. Prince Khaled described Crown Prince Naif’s death as a big loss for the Arab and Islamic Ummah.
“We condole King Abdullah and the ruling royal family, the Saudi people and we pray that Allah show mercy to Naif, enter him in His Paradise and include him among the martyrs,” the Makkah governor said and commended Crown Prince Naif’s great qualities as a responsible administrator. “I bear witness that you have been a person of great morals and a sincere government official,” Prince Khaled said about the late crown prince.
Baha Gov. Prince Mishari bin Saud commended Crown Prince Naif’s efforts for the success of Islamic causes. “He backed the oppressed and stood firmly against aggressors.” The governor also noted Crown Prince Naif’s security achievements. “Thanks to his work Saudi Arabia became an oasis of security and stability.”
Prince Mishari said he had held Crown Prince Naif in high esteem and admiration considering his wonderful personality. He did not show any leniency in matters concerning the nation and citizens. “Ever since he was a young person, Crown Prince Naif rejected aggression on the rights of any citizen. He dedicated his life to ensuring Saudis lived in peace and security,” the Baha governor said in his obituary.
Health Minister Abdullah Al-Rabeeah described Crown Prince Naif as a unique personality and one of the great men of Saudi Arabia. “He will be remembered in history and his national and international achievements written in golden letters. He loved goodness and supported the needy and the poor,” the minister said.
Justice Minister Muhammad Al-Eissa commended Crown Prince Naif’s efforts to bring security closer to the Saudi society. Crown Prince Naif had instituted an international prize to promote research in Hadith (the sayings of the Prophet, peace be upon him). Al-Eissa noted the late prince’s support for judiciary and its independence.
The 150-member Shoura Council also expressed its deep sorrow over the crown prince’s death. “It’s a big loss for Saudis, Arabs and Muslims. He was a good example for a successful statesman and a security man. He was a strong fortress for the nation and lived close to the hearts of citizens.”
The Shoura highlighted Crown Prince Naif’s contributions in administrative, security, educational and cultural fields. It also praised his prudent views and political wisdom. The consultative body underscored Crown Prince Naif’s achievements in defeating terrorists and extremists in the country by launching a massive campaign against them and conducting pre-emptive strikes.
Crown Prince Naif left Jeddah for overseas medical treatment on May 28. The last important meeting he attended was that of the Supreme Haj Committee when he emphasized the need to achieve qualitative improvement in Haj services.
He had urged all relevant government departments to make early preparations for the upcoming pilgrimage. “We have to welcome this year’s Haj with high preparedness, making use of the experiences from past Haj seasons,” the crown prince told the committee, which included Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled and nine ministers.
Crown Prince Naif has played an important role in strengthening Arab and GCC security. He was the honorary president of the Arab Interior Ministers Council, which passed the Arab anti-terror accord and other Arab security agreements.
He was also an ardent supporter of Saudization and called upon private companies to employ more Saudis. Last December, he urged business leaders to support the government's efforts to eradicate unemployment by creating more job opportunities for young Saudi men and women in their companies. He set up the Human Resource Development Fund to support Saudi workers.
Saudi Arabia's stock market is expected to see little impact following the death of the Kingdom's crown prince, despite an intraday drop, as investors bank on a smooth succession, analysts said.
The Tadawul All-Share Index declined 2.5 percent during the session as reports of Crown Prince Naif's death circulated in the social media earlier. The market recovered some ground to end 0.3 percent lower at 6,724.46 points, a 10-day low with volume of 602 million shares.