Secretary-General Pays Tribute to Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah at General Assembly Memorial Meeting

Following are UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s remarks at the General Assembly meeting in memory of King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, in New York today:

I thank the General Assembly for organizing this ceremony.  I am honoured to join with all of you in paying tribute to the life and legacy of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud.

King Abdullah was a wise and compassionate leader who guided Saudi Arabia’s development, worked to resolve peace and security challenges and address counter-terrorism, and devoted his energies to seeking reconciliation and understanding among people of different cultures.

I am especially grateful for his stalwart support for the United Nations and the least fortunate among us.  He was a champion against global hunger.  In 2008, during the crisis over high food prices, he arranged for the World Food Programme (WFP) to receive $500 million — the largest single donation that WFP has ever received.  More recently, King Abdullah generously supported humanitarian assistance efforts in Syria and Iraq, where millions of people are in dire need.

He also undertook important initiatives to promote dialogue among the world’s faiths.  In 2008, he became the first King of Saudi Arabia to address the United Nations at an important two-day bridge-building gathering of world leaders.

I met him on several occasions, most recently last July in Jeddah.  At that time we focused primarily on resolving the Middle East conflict and reviving the Arab Peace Initiative, for which he was the driving force.  Bu, our conversation also ranged more widely.  He told me of his belief in “fraternity and brotherhood among human beings”.  He stressed that tensions between cultures and faiths are not a function of religion, but of politicians who exploit division.

At the end of the meeting, I thanked him for his leadership.  I told him I was energized by his compassion.  He simply replied that he did not seek recognition or gratitude.  Instead, he said:  “What I do I feel is incumbent on any human being.”  This message of humility and grace were his last words to me and the ones by which I will remember him most.

King Abdullah lived through much turmoil and change.  His efforts made an impact throughout the Arab and Islamic worlds and the international community.  I offer my condolences to the bereaved royal family and to the people of Saudi Arabia — and I look forward to personally conveying my sympathy and support when I next visit Saudi Arabia, which I hope to do very soon.