RIYADH: Former Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Nizar bin Obaid Madani has been awarded the King Abdul Aziz Medal of the Second Order in recognition of services to the Kingdom stretching over almost five decades.
King Salman conferred the honor on Madani during a reception at Al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh on Wednesday.
The audience was attended by Foreign Minister Ibrahim Al-Assaf, Minister of State for African Affairs Ahmed bin Abdul Aziz Qattan, and the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Protocol Azzam bin Abdul Karim Al-Qain.
Madani, 78, retired from the Foreign Ministry on Jan. 7 after serving his country for over 50 years. He joined the ministry in 1965 and worked in various roles before becoming foreign affair minister in 2005.
The former minister is a prolific writer whose works have been published by the Diplomatic Studies Institute. His most recent book was a biography of Prince Saud Al-Faisal, the Kingdom’s longest-serving foreign minister. The biography was published in 2018 by the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies.
Madani recorded the history of his diplomatic career in an autobiography published in 2009.
