King Salman: A man of great achievements

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman, who ascended the throne on Friday, is an experienced administrator and statesman. His life is replete with achievements and he has made immense contributions to the Kingdom’s progress and enhancing its global reputation.
During the past 60 years, King Salman has held several important positions in the government, including as the governor of Riyadh, minister of defense, and crown prince and deputy premier.
As the governor of Riyadh and crown prince, Salman established close relations with major foreign allies, including the United States, France, the UK and Egypt as well as countries like China, Japan, India, Pakistan, Germany and Spain.
Last week, King Salman held talks in Riyadh with US Sen. John McCain, chairman of Senate Armed Services Committee, who led a delegation to the Kingdom. Stewart Wight, assistant information officer at the US Embassy, said the visit focused on enhancing Saudi-US cooperation.
“The delegation came to discuss a range of issues, including the coalition campaign against the so-called Islamic State and enhanced US-Saudi cooperation,” Wight said.
After becoming the crown prince on June 18, 2012, Salman visited a number of countries, including China, Japan, India, Pakistan, France and Egypt. He met with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Tokyo and told him that Riyadh is committed to further strengthening bilateral ties with Tokyo.
In September 2014, Salman visited Paris and held talks with French President Francois Hollande and Prime Minister Manuel Valls on major regional and international issues, including the threat posed by Islamic State (IS) militants to global peace and stability.
King Salman has reiterated the Kingdom’s opposition to terrorism. “Saudi Arabia realized the danger posed by terrorism to the international community from early on,” he told French leaders.
“We hope that peace-loving countries will swiftly contribute to strengthening the UN counterterrorism center to be a major pillar of international cooperation to combat terrorism, which threatens global security and stability,” he said.
Salman also highlighted the Arab Peace Initiative, which was originally proposed by King Abdullah, adding that it was aimed at resolving the Palestinian issue and protecting their legitimate rights, including an independent state with Jerusalem as its capital. “We urge the international community to shoulder its responsibility to ensure the protection of the Palestinian people from repeated Israeli aggression,” the crown prince said in France.
During his visit to Beijing, Salman held wide-ranging talks with high-ranking Chinese officials on expanding bilateral cooperation and, regional and international issues. His visit to India marked the first highest-level political visit from Saudi Arabia to India after the 2006 landmark trip by King Abdullah.
Salman was awarded an honorary doctorate by a leading Tokyo university. During the awards ceremony, Waseda University President Kaoru Kamata praised him for his “political wisdom, rich knowledge and great achievements, which have contributed to the development of Saudi Arabia at international and local levels.”

Early life
Born on Dec. 31, 1935, King Salman had his education at the School of Princes in Riyadh, which was established by his father King Abdulaziz. He studied religion and modern sciences.
Salman was appointed acting governor of Riyadh on March 17, 1954, when he was just 19 years old. He was named the governor of the Riyadh Region on April 18, 1955, with the rank of minister.
During his 56-year tenure as governor, the Riyadh Province achieved tremendous progress. He has contributed to the development of Riyadh from a mid-sized town into a major urban metropolis. He has attracted tourism, capital projects and foreign investment to the Kingdom.
On Nov. 5, 2011, Salman was appointed minister of defense, in place of the late Prince Sultan. Since his appointment in November 2011, Salman visited both the US and the United Kingdom where he met with US President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron.
On June 18, 2012, he was appointed the crown prince and deputy premier of Saudi Arabia after the death of Prince Naif. As crown prince, Salman acted as regent when King Abdullah went abroad on vacation and medical treatment.
Saudi analysts have commended the conciliatory and diplomatic nature of the new king. As a result of his long tenure as governor of Riyadh, he developed relations with Arab and international leaders. They believe King Salman’s rule would witness better relations with foreign countries.

Philanthropy
King Salman is chairman of King Abdulaziz Foundation for Research and Archives, King Abdulaziz Museum, the Prince Salman Center for Disability Research and the Prince Fahd bin Salman Charitable Society for the Care of Kidney Patients. In September 2012, he was named the deputy chairman of the Military Service Council.
King Salman is a strong advocate of philanthropy in poor Muslim nations such as Somalia, Sudan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Bosnia-Herzegovina. He is regarded as intelligent and hardworking and a trusted mediator in settling conflicts. His administration of Riyadh Province was corruption-free. He established strong relations with tribal leaders, Islamic scholars, intellectuals and the media.

Degrees and honors
King Salman has received several certificates and prizes, including honorary doctorates from Madinah Islamic University, Um Al-Qura University in Makkah, Jamia Millia Islamia in Delhi and Kant Medal from Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities.
He has received the highest orders and medals from France, Morocco, Bosnia-Herzegovina, the United Nations, the Philippines, Senegal, Yemen, Sweden and Bahrain.

Social work
King Salman has great interest for cultural and humanitarian work, and since 1956, has chaired a number of associations, organizations and charitable committees inside the Kingdom and abroad, and sponsored and supported many cultural projects.
He is chairman of the board of directors of the Riyadh Philanthropic Society for Sciences, president of the Prince Salman Prize for Qur’an Memorization for boys and girls in the Kingdom, honorary president of the Saudi Center for Organ Transplantation and chairman of the board of directors of the Prince Salman Charity Housing Project.
He is also chairman of the board of trustees of the King Fahd National Library, chairman of the board of directors of the History Center of Makkah and Madinah, chairman of the board of trustees of Hamad Al-Jasser Institution, honorary chairman of the board of trustees of the Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz Award for Young Entrepreneur, honorary president of the Saudi Historical Association and honorary president of Riyadh Schools.
Prince Salman previously worked as the president of Riyadh Development Authority, secretary general of the King Abdulaziz Islamic Foundation, honorary president of the Red Crescent Friends Committee in Riyadh, chairman of the board of directors of Al-Birr Association and its branches in Riyadh, and president of the Supreme Committee for the Endowment of King Saud University.