Prominent Saudi businessmen and academics have described the death of Crown Prince Naif as a colossal loss for Saudi Arabia and the Islamic world. They described him as a force for good and one of the most steadfast and ablest leaders the Kingdom had ever produced. "It has come as a shock for me," said Asharqia Chamber Chairman Abdul Rahman Al-Rashed. "We were hearing that he was recovering and were hoping that he would soon be with us."
The high-ranking businessman said Prince Naif's death is a huge loss. "He has been at the job, in the service of his people, for the last 60 years, and to lose a leader of that stature is indescribable," Al-Rashed said. "He was an important element of the decision-making."
According to Al-Rashed, the loss is all the more acute and painful because of the turmoil in Saudi Arabia's neighboring countries. "The presence of King Abdullah at the helm of this great nation is a source of comfort for the people of Saudi Arabia," he said.
Khalid Al-Abdulkarim, chief of a prominent business group, offered heartfelt condolences to the Prince Naif's immediate family members. "The peace and tranquility that we have witnessed in our Kingdom in the last 50 years was largely because of his efforts and wise management of security affairs," he said. "God bless his soul."
Al-Abdulkarim felt a lump in throat when he recalled Prince Naif's many services to the Kingdom. "The one who will take over his responsibilities will realize the challenges that he faced," he said. "He always kept the internal situation of the country stable ... He was able to bring the internal security forces in line with the requirement of the modern world."
The businessman felt that the internal stability provided by Prince Naif led to the phenomenal growth of Saudi Arabia. "Solid internal security was a key component of the 50-year all-round growth that we have witnessed," said Al-Abdulkarim.
"I am very sad, I am very sad," said former Saudi Aramco executive Bidah Mejdal Al-Gahtani. "We all recognize that one day we all have to return to Allah, but still I can't express my feelings, we lost a great man, a great patriot, a great leader, a great Muslim, he was a source of strength for all of us."
National Retirees Association Dammam branch President Saeed Al-Ghamdi said Prince Naif was a firm and just leader. "His death has saddened us all," he said. "He was one of the Arab and Muslim world's most important leaders; without a doubt we have lost one of the best leaders we ever had," said Al-Ghamdi.
Businessman Abdullah Al-Hazza said the entire nation is feeling his loss. "It was he who laid a solid and secure foundation for the people of Saudi Arabia. If we feel safe and secure in our Kingdom today, it was because of his efforts," he said.
Dr. Nasser Al-Tayyar, chairman of Al-Tayyar Group for Travel and Tourism, commended the efforts of Prince Naif to strengthen Kingdom’s security and stability. “He has been managing one of the most important sectors of the country, security, for the past 37 years,” he said. “I would say he was the engineer of the Kingdom’s stability,” he added.
Khaled Bogri, former CEO of Al Alamiya Insurance, said Prince Naif’s death was big loss not only to Saudi Arabia but also to the Islamic world. Dr. Farouk Al-Khateeb of King Abdulaziz University noted the late prince’s efforts to eradicate unemployment among Saudis.
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